[reason 17] celebrating 80

 

Have you ever been excited for an event and thought to yourself, "I wouldn't miss this for the world!" That thing that has you so excited is a reason to live. I'm excited to celebrate my Mom today. 

My Mom turns 80 today, but don't tell her I told you that. We're going to have lunch at her house to celebrate. My sister, who lives out of state, is sending flowers. I put together a little something for her (surprise, it's a photo book!). Now I just have to make a dessert and remember to pack the candles. And the birthday balloon that we've been using to celebrate the last few family birthdays. 

I'm excited to celebrate Mom's 80th with both of my parents, in the house I grew up in, with my kids, and with food from Nardelli's, as that just seems fitting. My Mom had one of the Nardellis as a student, you know. 

My Mom, Sandy Talbot, has done many notable things during her eighty years of existence. She is a wife (of going on fifty-one years), mother (to me, my sister, my bestie Renee, and my various other "adopted" siblings throughout the years), and friend. She was and will always be a teacher, not only to her college students, but to me, my siblings, her grandchildren, people of all ages at our various forms of "Sunday School," and the list goes on. She's always been the example of what it is to serve others - from reading books to elementary school students to volunteering with the Naugatuck Valley Youth Symphony and Naugatuck High School Band and various other school-related organizations, to more recently with New Start Ministry, a refugee resettlement organization. She accepts and loves her grandchildren as they live as their authentic selves and advocates for the LGBQIA2S+ community.

And she didn't do several notable things as well. For example, she didn't become a nun ... which is a good thing for my sister and I. Good thing her superior realized God probably had other plans for her. She also didn't believe me when I was actually sick (not just pretending in hopes that Grampy would babysit me and we would play card games and sneak out to Frankie's) and that time in first grade I ended up throwing up in my cubby and another time she made good on her threat to take me to the doctor and I had walking pneumonia. But that's ok. I can't blame her. I did miss twenty-eight days of fifth grade, and I guarantee you they weren't all because I was actually sick. 

But I digress. 

Happy 80th Birthday, Mom! You've made the world a better place. You've made my world a better place. And I want to be just like you when I grow up.