My grandchildren had already set aside a cemetery plot and a headstone for me – but they forgot that I’m more than just kind.
They thought I was just a sweet old lady with one foot in the grave. When I overheard my own children talking about the headstone they’d already picked out for me, I decided it was time to show them that kindness isn’t the same as weakness.
They say life is like a rollercoaster ride, and honey, I can really tell you that’s true. I’ve been alive for about 74 years and five months now, and during this time, I’ve seen my fair share of ups and downs.
One day, life is great. Everything is going just the way you want it, and then the next day, something happens that completely shatters your world. But you gotta keep swimming. You gotta keep going with the flow. That’s what life is, y’all. That’s what life is all about.
No matter how old you are, you’ll still have something to worry about. Something that keeps you going.
My name is Martha, and I spent most of my life being a mother to my three children. Betty is my oldest, Thomas is my middle child, and Sarah… she’s my baby girl.
Lord knows I gave them everything I had. Every birthday, every Christmas, every scrape and bruise, I was there with open arms and a smile ready. Their daddy and I worked really hard to make sure they had opportunities that we never had.
We weren’t rich by any means, but we managed to get all three of them through college. Lord, I still remember the day each one of them walked across that stage. I was sitting there in the crowd, dabbing at my eyes with a handkerchief, my heart about to burst with pride.
But as they grew up, got married, and had families of their own, I noticed they started having less and less time for me. The phone calls that used to come every day became weekly, and then monthly.
The Sunday dinners at my house got fewer and fewer until it was just holiday visits. And when my grandkids came along (seven of them, if you can believe it), well, they were even busier.
“Mom, we have soccer practice,” Betty would say.
“Mom, Thomas Jr. has a recital,” Thomas would explain.
“Mom, work is just crazy right now,” Sarah would sigh.
