MY FIRST MOTHERS' DAY ALONE

Jane Wheeler, 11/24/31-5/9/15

I will be spending Mothers’ Day this year without my mother, Jane Wheeler. She left this earth at 6:20PM, Saturday, May 9th, 2015, to join my father and her four sisters and brother in Heaven. Actually it’s been many years since I spent Mothers’ Day with her. She would turn off her phone every second Sunday in May and go to the casinos, declaring that if you hadn’t bothered to visit her the other 364 days of the year, don’t bother her on Mothers’ Day, or her birthday. 

My mother was a remarkable woman in her own way. She only had a tenth grade education but she never stopped learning. She read voraciously and introduced me to classic literature, grand opera, and great masters art. She played bridge with professionals and chess with masters. She also was the only woman allowed at my family’s poker table when I was growing up. She told me I was capable of doing anything AND I believed her. She told me, “Keep an open mind, but don’t let your brains fall out.” and “Don’t be afraid to commit. Nothing great was every accomplished by a moderate.” She had lived most of her life as an independent woman, long before the feminist movement started. My father traveled with his work and never spent two consecutive weekends at home. My mother ran the household, took care of the kids, and managed the family’s finances. 

After my father passed, she ran her own household these last 22 years only recently asking for help with daily chores. At 83 years, five months, and 15 days old, she was only 12 days younger than her grandfather, who had lived longer than any other in our family tree. It was a life lived the way she wanted it lived. 

I am very grateful for all of the family and friends who have supported us over these past few months. Thank you for your prayers and best wishes. Jane Wheeler is home.