Jinny's Birthday

[plumtreeblossom]

My mom turns 70 today. It's possible that it feels stranger to me than it does to her.

In my mind's eye, she is still 40 and beautiful; young and energetic, with a career and many ambitions for herself and for we two children. That is how I still and always will picture her whenever I think of her. A tall, lean redhead in chic 1970's fashions, driving the car with us in the backseat, teaching us how to sing vocal harmonies to keep us from fighting.

Whenever I have dreams and she's in them, she is always the young 40-ish version of herself that I remember from childhood. We only see each other once a year, and in the times between I almost always forget the years that seperate her now from the "her" in my mind. When I talk to her on the I phone still picture her as I saw her when I was 9 or 10.

70....

I wish I could give my mother her young self back, just for today.

Comments

[lillibet.livejournal.com]

My mom was so happy when she turned 70. I remember sharing her birthday with her and she was just pleased as punch. I think it was at that point that she started announcing her age to anyone who would listen. She'll be 79 this year and she's still just about the strongest person I know. Her hands shake a little and she gets tired earlier in the evening, but she's still got incredibly energy and a beautiful smile and is, in many ways, a much happier person than she was in middle-age.

There may yet be fantastic years for your mom, too.