Tribute to Moms: Dignity, Grace, and Humor….
Grow old along with me. The best is yet to be.
~Robert Browning
Saturday morning, I was still in my pajamas, engrossed in sending an e-mail message to my friend when I received a text from my daughter, “Mom, I’m waiting inside the church for you!”
Yikes! I had totally forgotten about the Mother’s Day brunch I’d invited Sarah to attend!
Seriously—no exaggeration here—I was dressed and ready to leave the house in under 10 minutes and arrived at the church at 10:25. Fortunately, my daughter was gracious, understanding her mom can be easily sidetracked!
The event was lovely! The women’s ministry team did an outstanding job, and even though I may not have been completely put together, I enjoyed and was enriched by the experience.
Seated next to me was a lovely lady named Carole whom I had never met. During our getting-to-know-one-another conversation, I mentioned my mom died at the age of 94 last September. Carole shared about her mother who in 2015 died at age 104. Then, she told me a bit about her mom and gave me permission to tell you about her in today’s blog.
When Carole’s mother was 100, she ziplined across a canyon. At 101, she base-jumped off a bridge, declaring that adventure was “too short!”
If that wasn’t enough, at age 100, this feisty mom was invited to be a guest of Jay Leno on The Tonight Show. Leno was so delighted by her that he invited her back on Valentine’s Day of her 101st year. She sang “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” on the popular late-night show.
When Dorothy Custer was 103, she told her family she was getting tired. When she died at age 104, family and friends released butterflies to honor her memory.
Pretty amazing, huh!
If you’d like to read more about this remarkable woman, you can do so here.
Yesterday was Mother’s Day. Today I want to honor women who exemplify the Aging Mission Statement I wrote for myself on my 50th birthday:
I will grow old with dignity, grace, and a sense of humor.
Dorothy Custer surely exemplifies each of those traits!
In Thursday’s post, I will honor women who simply are willing to keep showing up. I hope you’ll join me for that tribute.
