The Confidence I got from maman

I've been thinking a lot about my maman these last few days.  It marked the one year anniversary of her passing.

Yes, one year ago, I lost the most important woman in my life....my mom.

It is such a strange feeling to not be able to reach out to her anytime I want to.  Still to this day, one year later, I would love to sit with her and talk, hug her, tell her I love her and share a meal with her.

I obviously thought a lot about maman in the last year and I know that it is all part of the grieving.  This woman was without a single doubt the strongest woman alive.  The love that she had for her family made her succeed at everything she started.  Despite her husband, my papa being riddled with Multiple Sclerosis, she continued to be a faithful and loving wife to him, to deal with all of the children, to always manage to make ends meet and to always make sure we all had what we needed.

Maman would work with her hands and with her heart.  She cooked everything from scratch, she sewed our clothes and the house was always spotless.  Not such an easy feat for a household full of children.

I remember a time, Halloween night, my brother's birthday.  Maman was running late for some reason and I needed a costume for a school party in my elementary school.  Lo and behold, my brother got his homemade cake and while we were finishing up our second piece of desert, mom was on her sewing machine.  I won for best costume that year.....

Maman was a stand up lady.  She had her values and her faith.  She often said in her later years that she would not have made it through life without her faith.

She always told me to live for the day and to never settle for anything that didn't make me happy.

Pretty wise words. 

The older I get, the more I understand and appreciate those words.

Yes, maman taught me lots through her actions and her words.

I think the important lesson of persistence and the attitude of never settling (despite the impatience at times) is one that is proving to be quite rewarding for me.......

I am happily establishing a good friendship with Mr Confidence.  I can already see and feel where we could become best of friends.  He is continuing to be oh so patient with me.  The romance, the laughter, the talks....  all 'feel great' stuff! 

Yes, Mr Confidence is in my life.  I'm glad my maman gave me the Confidence to wait for what it is I truly wanted.....

Signed yours truly, taking it one day at a time and enjoying myself,

SSW :)

P.S.  A lesson from my maman....