Mom's turn: Memorial Day memories

This is a day that we are supposed to be thoughtful and remember those that have given their life for our freedoms and country…most people spend it partying. I suppose celebrating freedom by living life is one way to honor the veterans that made it possible. I, however, have always chosen a different route. I spend it in a much more somber way as it is also the day my mother passed away 26 years ago. I try to remember the joy and beauty in her, which is hard, and to forget the pain and tears of drugs and alcohol, which is even harder. I try to remember the way her hair smelled, her smile looked, her touch felt, and her voice sounded. I often wonder what she would have been like as a grandmother or if life would have become easier or harder for us if she would have lived longer. I am grateful for the good parts of her legacy that continue living in me and now my daughter and celebrate life remembering a different type of hero who fought the demons of her mind and lost at a very young age – my mom. The uniqueness of my childhood made me who I am today…so there is no bitterness regarding the past only gratitude for being given the opportunity to make a better future. In loving memory of my mother, Juli…