M is for my Mother

M is for my mother.

Tom, the marine biologist, shows my mother and I how to feed the stingrays

Basically, in short, (as she is) my mother is one of the strongest people I know.  She annoys me, oh yes.  But, I admire her a great deal.  She has undergone radical cancer treatment, including radiation, chemo, ongoing drugs, breast removal, lymph removal and all that stuff.  However, she has never complained.  In fact, when she was first diagnosed she said, "Well, rather me than someone else.  1 in 3 gets cancer, who would you rather it be, me, Juanita or Katrina?  (My sister and I)  I've had a good quality of life, and this is okay".  And she dealt with it.

She even helps my sister with her 2 kids, me with my broken ankle recently, both of them giving up way too much time to make costumes for my school production recently.   And she doesn't stop.

Last week we went to Auckland, to go swimming with stingrays.

My mother doesn't swim.

But, she got in the water, hand-fed these 200 kilo beasts, and felt better for it.

She has guts of steel, that woman.  And so I dedicate this M for my Mother.