Happy Birthday, Mami.

Today would’ve been my mother’s 52nd birthday. Crazy to think about her being “middle aged”.

Though my siblings and I are in our 14th year without her, the longing, the aching for her, especially around holidays or birthdays is especially strong.  As you can imagine, with her birthday being in May, her wedding anniversary being in May, and Mother’s Day being in May…the month of May can be quite the difficult month.

Recently however, a friend whose mother also passed at an early age  posted about believing that her mother’s soul was split up after she passed away and how she sees the spirit of her mother everywhere…in a friend’s eyes, in a smile…oh how I loved that.

So I am keeping my eyes, my ears, and my heart much more open to the little signs that my mom is still here watching over me and making her presence known even in the littlest of ways.

My mother’s name was Ana Iris. So in the spring, when the Irises start to bloom, I always think of her and feel her love and smile all around me.

Until we meet again. Happy Birthday, Mami.