15 years

I cried when my girls were born.

I cried when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. 

I cried when I ran my first 12 minute mile. 

I cried over losing a friend - or two - three.

I cried when the girls graduated from high school.

I cried when I was diagnosed again, this time with kidney cancer. 

I cried when Molly got married. 

I cried yesterday when, during prayers at church, Patti reached and held my hand. 

Every one of those tears has been well deserved.

Tears shed for happy times, sad times, accomplishment times. 

Today, I cried again. 

I wrote a check and filled out the memo line

PAID IN FULL ---- YAY!!!!!

Yes, I literally wrote YAY. 

I asked her to look and see just how long this was in coming. 

It started as a 500.00 loan.

But as I got blindsided over and over, I had to add to it. Rework it. catch us up. OVER AND OVER. 

Money that I didn't plan

to have to come up with, but because my name was mama, I did what I had to. 

And a 15 year process has now come to an end. 

15 years. 

Yup - no damned wonder I wrote YAY!!!! on my check. 

And Doris - well - let's just say - she was not nearly as excited by this as I was. 

On to whittling down the next one.