a Birthday, a Beautiful New Beginning, and Special Celebrations for Mom
If May had a theme, this year’s would be celebration. Full, beautiful, soul-satisfying celebrations.
As the calendar flipped to May 2024, I had no idea just how rich this month would be. I expected birthday candles, maybe a dessert or two for Mother’s Day—but what unfolded was an entire season of honoring life, love, legacy, and new beginnings.
🎉 We Kicked It Off with Mom’s Birthday
The month began with flair—hats, laughter, and good eats at mom’s birthday dinner . There’s something about the joy and laughter that comes with family meals. Thad, Wally and I gathered with Mom was right there in the middle of it—a sparkle in her eye, soaking up every second.
This wasn’t just another party. It was the prelude to something bigger. It felt like May was reminding us: This is life. Celebrate it. One of the sweet privileges of adulthood is getting to love your parents back with the same extravagance they once gave to you. So this year, we went all out.
Mother’s Day weekend followed a week later with a swanky move in between. Mother’s Day was filled with a tea party, flowers, chocolate-covered strawberries, and stories. It felt like we squeezed decades of gratitude into a few hours. Every smile was a snapshot. Every hug, a prayer answered.
But perhaps the biggest gift wasn’t wrapped in ribbon—it came with a new set of keys.
🏡 A Swanky New Chapter
After months of praying, researching, and planning, we helped Mom move into a stunning assisted living apartment. And when I say stunning, I mean it.
Spacious and light-filled, it feels more like a boutique hotel than a retirement community. Beautifully designed common areas with cozy furniture, curated art on the walls, and flowers everywhere. A dining room that serves actual cuisine—not just food. A pastry chef on staff who’s already won Mom over with a variety of cookies, cupcakes and chocolates.
There’s a calendar so packed with options—art classes, movie nights, concerts, book clubs, and socials—that I joked she’ll need a personal assistant to keep up with it all.
But more than the elegance or the amenities, the greatest gift is this: she’s safe. She’s supported. She’s seen.
She doesn’t have to do life alone. And we don’t have to carry the silent weight of wondering whether she’s okay in the quiet hours when no one is around. Now, she has a village. And we all get to breathe a little easier.
💛 Helping Her Enjoy Life
This move wasn’t just a logistical shift. It was an act of love.
We’re making sure she gets the help she needs to enjoy life—not just survive it. She deserves to laugh, to feel pampered, to be surprised by joy and delight in ordinary moments. And this place gives her that.
Of course, there were emotions. A few tears. The ache of change. But more than anything, there was peace. There was grace.
🌸 May Wrapped in Gratitude
As I look back on this month, I’m overwhelmed by how much beauty we fit into 14 days. May 2024 will go down as a month of major milestones and meaningful memories. We dressed up and danced through it all. We honored our past and stepped into the future.
We gave Mom a new beginning—and received the deep comfort of knowing she is well cared for. I’ll carry these moments with me always. Because this? This is what love looks like in real life.
