Journal June 13, 2010

My daughters are amazing. Oh, and the son.

But yesterday was Beth’s day. After long months of challenges, facing living as the cold, harsh winds of life took away her breath, scarring daily at her soul, realizing her ultimate fears. It stalked her dreams, it removed prayers from her lips, no matter how hard she held on to her beads. It left her “hope” chest empty, and her checkbook.

And she took each buffering, each devasting new reality, with her head held high, accepting the love and comfort of friends and family. Getting up, remembering to breathe, and go about the busy-ness of raising 3 teenaged sons, teaching, helping others. Some days she performed in a daze, but she is never one to give up. Her strength is amazon-like, a warrior woman.

But, yesterday she glowed at her 2nd son, Josh’s Open House. Done without spousal help. Courageous enough to let others in to assist her. And she was amazing, my little girl.

She welcomed a stream of family and friends, was positive and glowing, so much so that if one didn’t know it wasn’t always a 4 person family, they’d not be the wiser. She was gracious, caring, funny all the while totally exhausted from her role of caring for me, traveling to New Orleans, working on her Masters, taking Josh to CMU, and preparing this party.

But the height of it for me, was the video letter she wrote to him, singing his special “Joshie” song to him. Beth, I was never prouder of you. You are an elegant woman, a funny, crazy child of mine. A new person I’m glad to meet, who so many years ago, closed up to be safe.

Keep blooming, dearest Beth. The best is yet to come.

Papa? It’s me, Vicki.

To Beth and her new beginnings. And to the wonderful memory of these two silly little girls of mine (r: Andrea) who woke me up with giggling and stories that erased 35 years of my memory to summer nights, trying to get them tucked in and asleep.