Mom wasn't easy in her early seventies. I have to believe that we had her for her very best years and now she's kicking back watching us from above and all around just tickled by the accomplishments and growth of her kids and grandkids. For the grandkids I'd wish for another twenty years. One hundred would've suited her just fine. To them, she'd be ageless and easy and fun, talking Heat and Dolphins while serving matzah ball soup and asking about school. For us, it might have been, well, challenging.

Thank you for thinking about me today.

Mother's Day takes an already difficult day and makes it harder.

Every day is a hard day.

For years I had carried around a very large purse (a “portable CVS” as my mother used to call it) brimming with everything from matches to a first aid kit. Included were packets of Cottonelle, Clorox wipes, a sewing kit, pencil sharpeners, a fairly large bottle of water, a flash drive, a phone, phone charger, hand lotion, tampons, multiple lipsticks, tissues, safety pins, a notebook for writing down random thoughts, a thesaurus, receipts for every purchase in the last seven years, and no less than fifteen Bed, Bath, & Beyond coupons. Also included was my wallet with about 4 lbs. of change. The parents on my sons’ sport teams knew me as the lady who came to the games really prepared.

Thank you to Therafit Shoes for inviting me to guest blog:

Yesterday we dismantled a life. My siblings and I gathered together at my late mother's home to sift through her belongings. Seventy-four years of stuff cramped the walls and drawers. When I walked into her closet, I expected to find rows of blouses and bottoms, but the hangers were bare, our sister having already generously given away the clothes to the nurses who cared for Mom in her final weeks. The floor, however, was covered in shoes.

The year is coming to a close. For my family, it has been a time of great highs and great lows. 2012 brought life to my first novel (February 15), our twin sons became B’nai Mitzvah (December 8), and death befell my beloved mother (December 10). For me, this whole year came down to these pivotal dates.