Our Lily of the Valley turns 90
Not many of us are blessed to see our Moms turn 90, not so!
I consider myself very lucky as Mom Lily has been through many ups and downs in the 90 years that she's been here on earth, many would have given up, yet Mom still remains spunky and full of wisdom! The phrase below is spot-on as far as this little lady is concerned...
Dynamite comes in small packages!
Childhood & growing up
Mom was a young teen when she was cruelly told by an envious cousin that the man she's been calling Dad all those years, was not her biological father.
She never got to meet this man, so that was a dream she never fulfilled.
My Ouma was a gracious, compassionate and honourable woman, but was considered to be from the wrong side of the tracks and his family would not allow them to get married.
My handsome and strong-willed Oupa took my Ouma under his wings and brought Mom up as his own.
When Mom was only three years old, this man finally plucked up the courage to take a stand against the wishes of his toffee-nosed family and came knocking on the door to demand his child, but my Oupa sent him packing!
Mom fell in love with my gentle giant teddy bear father, who was a talented musician and wowed her with his guitar strumming. My super talented Dad could play almost any instrument he picked up with no formal lessons and ended up playing in grand old ballrooms in his younger years!
Sad times
We lost my Dad unexpectedly some 18 years ago when he suffered an aortic aneurism; no time to say goodbye!
Barely three months later, the day after Christmas, my 42 year old brother had a massive heart attack and despite a paramedic living next door doing CPR, it was all in vain.
We were all shattered!
This was the second child Mom lost as my oldest brother committed suicide when he was only 26.
Another horrific tragedy was the murder of Mom's youngest brother and my very special uncle nine years ago; all traumatic events that still are very difficult to come to terms with.
Fun times
There were many fun times when the family got together throughout the years; the laughter would never end. I cannot remember any bad words between anyone at any time!
Mom never, ever smoked, nor was she a beer drinker, but this one pic with her play-acting, is too priceless not to share here!
Mom used to love fishing; always looked for an excuse to paint the walls, not simply one shade, oh no; she has very good taste and would choose the most gorgeous colours to go with the different rooms' decor.
She still is very particular about eating only healthy foods; no cream doughnuts for this little old gal!
Mom only has two sons and me now. That's all of us in the pics above, with hubby on the left hand side.
Health Scare
This Lily does not enjoy being planted on one place, loved walking, always had a wanderlust and was fiercely independent!
Therefore it was quite startling when she started having problems with her balance and would often have falls, so it was off to the doc.
The problem was a benign brain tumour almost the size of a golf ball which the specialists suspected had been there for many years, but is very slow growing.
They reckon as she was so fit, her body adjusted to this 'thing' inside her brain until it got bigger!
Brain fluids were building up and she underwent a successful VP Shunt procedure.
VP Shunt procedure Image Source
That was five years ago and Mom unfortunately fractured her ankle earlier this year so her balance problem has now worsened, much to her frustration and mine at times as I'm the nurse, so she understandably has some bad days as she no longer has the freedom to take a walk, even just in the garden.
We thankfully still manage to have some good old belly laughs at times!
The big milestone - 90
My sister in law arranged a little tea party just for our immediate family for the big Nine 0, taking a big load off my shoulders!
It was a lovely sunny day so we enjoyed the half an hour drive as they live on an estate in the countryside.
We had a small intimate party and it was great spending time just relaxing and reminiscing on fun times AND enjoying the most divine eats; of course me being a sweet tooth only took pics of the Caramel Cream gateaux and gorgeous little cupcakes!
Absolutely yummylicious!
My younger brother could not be there as he works abroad and has to spend a certain time out of the country to dodge the taxman, so during his break is currently visiting my nephew in Minneapolis and video-called us.
This beautiful Orchid arrived via courier from my nephew who always remembers his Ouma's birthday, no matter where in the world he is!
Mom Lily really is one in a million and a huge blessing to everyone in our family!
Banner created by @zord189
Original Content by @lizelle
Thank you for stopping by
Copyright @lizelle – All Rights Reserved
Do you know this Badge?
It says "Thank you for partnering with the Papillon Foundation by participating in the
Weekly Hive Charity Giveaway."
Do you want this Badge?
If you like this badge and if you want to help too, you can learn more about @combination and the badge in their blog post:
Some Exciting News! Badge release!
CLICK IMAGE IF YOU WISH TO JOIN SILVER BLOGGERS:
Artwork by @artywink
Banner created by @derangedvisions
JOIN Hive using my referral LINK
Great story @lizelle. I enjoyed learning more about your family, history, and of course your mom.
You have a nephew in Minneapolis? Cool!
Happy Birthday to Lily!
Thank you so much for your feedback @intothewild, so glad you enjoyed Mom Lily's story!
Yes my nephew inherited many of Mom's traits like his determination to work hard and get what he wants. He's a pilot and managed to wangle a way to pilot the last leg of my brother's flight plus had him sitting in the cockpit before take-off, very exciting for both of them and my brother said it was a very smooth flight!
This has me choked up. I am so impressed with your mother's strength. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Your family story should be made into a movie. The kind where you are deeply moved at the end.
Happy birthday to your mom Lily!!!
Awe thank you my friend, that's a big compliment!
I must say when I read about your resilience and determination to create all those spectacular dishes, you remind me of my Mom who could make the most delicious meals out of nothing!
I could actually write a book on the family sagas, would make very interesting reading!
Take care and enjoy the mild weather before the big freeze sets in, it's slowly warming up here but when the humidity and extremely hot days and nights come in Jan and Feb, it's awful!
Lovely seeing you here my friend!
Lovely @lizelle ,your mom is the best and I am so privileged to know her, she is like my own mom, I just love her to bits. Well done Aunty Lilly, may you see many more years. I want to taste more of those cookies you bake. Love you lots. Thanks my friend for sharing.
Well, you feel like the sister I never had! Mom really amazes me with her determination! Still sits in that chair and exercises her feet and legs as she's not getting around much.
She always says you and Pete are like part of our family, would have loved to have you over but we have to be careful, Mandy's 87 year old Mom was the only other guest besides us and my older brother ❤
Awesome story @lizelle, I liked hearing about your family, and I wish Mom Lily happy birthday!
Ah thank you so much, will pass on your good wishes @ecuadorhomestead !
Happy Birthday mom Lily from Zac, Marian, Troy and the Squirrel family.
You have lived a very rich life with the tears and all and you raised a wonderful daughter.
All blessings to you and may our Lord continue to keep you in the palm of his hand.
Ah thank you my friend to all of you! Really appreciate your wonderful kind words, will show your message and the others to Mom. Blessings to you & Marian as well as the extended family🙏🏻😉
Sorry for the lady reply Lady Lizzie, but we are up to our ears here. I have to sneak time to do the posts.
We will again work until very late, as we have some exciting new projects and planning and sourcing for the new community bakery is estimated to take 6 months.
Then we also have the new coding training project for poor children and school leavers that kicked off two weeks ago (orientation) that's now completed. They will go onto the computers on Thursday, so we must get everything ready.
I am not offering excuses here, as such is life currently with us.
Glad that you told Mom Lily about our wishes and she is certainly a blessing.
Thank you also for the kind wishes and they are reciprocated.
!PIZZA
@lizelle! I sent you a slice of $PIZZA on behalf of @papilloncharity.
Did you know you can now buy Rising Star packs with $PIZZA? (1/10)
The work that you, Marian and everyone from Papillon do is simply amazing. Wishing you much better health so you can continue my friend. Thank you 🙏🏻
You might not know it Lady Lizzie, but you are amongst the blessed friends that I have here on Hive.
There is only a handful but more than enough for me and all of you are top quality people.
The glory of our work belongs to our God, as we are only empty vessels that the Spirit flows through.
We can do nothing without Him.
Thank you for the kind care and have some homemade !PIZZA
It's not as good as yours, as the topping is only Bully Beef, but it's the best that I can make 😜
@lizelle! I sent you a slice of $PIZZA on behalf of @papilloncharity.
Learn more about $PIZZA Token at hive.pizza (3/10)
https://twitter.com/ZacSmit18068838/status/1434464967684763650
The rewards earned on this comment will go directly to the person sharing the post on Twitter as long as they are registered with @poshtoken. Sign up at https://hiveposh.com.
No parent should say goodbye to their child... I can only imagine how painful it must be.
Out of all the pics, in that bunch, the one that caught my eye is the cigi and beer bottle only to read that it was an act...but she rocked it.
Happy Birthday to the 90-year young lady <33
ps: that cake... looks so good ;D
You're so right about that opening statement @kaerpediem!
Sooo glad you enjoyed the one with the ciggie and the beer, our family get togethers used to be great fun, really miss those days! Besides some of the family no longer being in the land of the living, many are scattered across our country and many have emigrated as well! Plus Covid has changed so many things!
But we still have good times, just kess of us!
That cake was to die for😉
Thank you for stopping by!
❤️❤️❤️
They don't make them like they use to. A very special day for sure. I've got so few pictures of my parents and that saddens me. I love the black and white picture of when your parents were married, precious for sure. There is an old saying, "What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger." Your mother's will to carry on despite the many hardships she has faced in her life is something we all can learn from.
Lilly seems like a real colorful character, a person that seems to have graced so many others who have come to know her.
Best birthday wishes to you Lily. I'm sure you have heard this before, but it is worth repeating, you have raised one heck of a splendid daughter!
Your comments brought a few tears to my eyes as you've described Mom to a T; many call her a legend, and that my strong little Mom certainly is! They were certainly made of stronger material back in the day!
Mom still reprimands me at times and even though I don't always agree and get into a huff, when I think about her words afterwards, I realise that she was right! Never too old to learn not so;)
Thank you for the big compliment and for your wonderful feedback; I also love that wedding photo; Mom and Dad both look gorgeous!
Parents never stop parenting. I can still hear my mom calling me Robert when she got serious and I needed to listen, otherwise, she would just call me Bobby.
Have a wonderful day and don't get sassy with Lily. 😁
LOL I enjoyed reading your last comment Robert!
@lizelle Happy Birthday to your mom! What a blessing that she is still with you. How powerful all that she has lived, undoubtedly she is an admirable woman.
Thank you so much @mjvdc, will pass on the birthday wishes, you're right, Mom is to be admired for being so tenacious despite all the ups and downs!
Electronic-terrorism, voice to skull and neuro monitoring on Hive and Steem. You can ignore this, but your going to wish you didnt soon. This is happening whether you believe it or not. https://ecency.com/fyrstikken/@fairandbalanced/i-am-the-only-motherfucker-on-the-internet-pointing-to-a-direct-source-for-voice-to-skull-electronic-terrorism
Ah, Lizelle!
I am so glad you shared this and I saved it to come and read properly, and I'm so glad I did. What a life Lily's lived! I am thrilled that you had such a wonderful celebration.
What a great photo, that of her with the beer and ciggie! What a lovely, naughty twinkle in her eye...
Sterkte, vriendin. xx
Thank you my friend! Funny that it brought back more of the happier times as those tragedies are kind of stuck in one's mind, so it was kind of cathartic writing this as I now start remembering more of the good times. Mom could be full of mischief at times, just like the rest of the family, so the get togethers were great fun especially when all the aunts and uncles and cuzzies got together! I REALLY miss those days!
It's one of the reasons I write: the catharsis.
That said, I am so glad thay the happy is winning over the sad. IMO that's how it should be. 🤗
Congratulations to your Mom on her 90th birthday! It's so incredible that you still have her. That generation is so resilient (and stubborn). I wish her many more healthy years!
Thank you Eric, yes Mom is quite the survivor, and that stubborn streak just seems to get stronger the older they are!
What a wonderful post. Happy Birthday Lily!
Your mom is one tough cookie, having to face such heartbreak throughout her life. Life gives us no choice sometimes, move forward or perish. It takes a lot of fortitude to keep going, especially after losing a child, let alone two. The timing had to be the worst, losing a son right after losing your husband. I have a lump in my throat.
I wish her all the best, you as well, Lily couldn't have asked for a better daughter.
Peace and happy wishes.
PS. Is there any cake left? I sure would love a nice hunk, it looks yummy.
Awe thank you @farm-mom, Mom certainly is one tough cookie with a very tender heart! Still puts me in my place when she thinks it's needed, and I often realize she was actually right!
That cake disappeared so fast, I actually want to try and make my own version, but don't think I'll get it as feather-light!
Really appreciate your lovely comments and the reblog 🥰
Oh my that list of the sad times is just awful! It's a testament to your family's strength that you all get on so well, despite all the trauma.
Happy Birthday to the birthday gal!
Thank you @owasco, yes those times unfortunately stay etched in one's mind, but writing about it and remembering the fun times, was kind of cathartic!
Will show Mom your birthday wishes 🤗
Great milestone reached, life has rocky patches we don't always fully understand, never will either, reaching this grand age, still smiling with a sense of humour, well done Aunt Lily!
Moments like this are treasured forever @lizelle lovely to wrap them up, hold them close!
Thank you Joan, very true! I just felt I had to tell Mom's story as there are too many things that the older generation tried to sweep under the carpet and we all know what happens then as the mound just gets bigger and bigger!
She read it with a sad smile, if that makes sense.
Too much has been swept under the carpet, fortunately Mom is still with you to set record straight.
Sad smiles normally bitter/sweet memories fleetingly remembered before storing again.
Send love and hugs for 90th Birthday to Aunty Lily.
That's so sweet of you, will pass on the lovely wishes...
very very true what you said there!
Happy birthday to your mom for her 90th! Your family is beautiful.
Thank you sweet @sreypov🤗
Loved this bio of your mom. What a wonderful woman! My mom was 88 this year...
Thank you @goldenoakfarm and so glad to hear you still have your Mom!
Happy birthday Miss Lily! What a beautiful bride she made! I can see she was no shrinking violet and she was a woman before her time! She could be quite the lady, but, could stand up for herself when it called for it.
The hardships she endured were more than any one person should have to bear, but, she endured and persevered. You have got to be wowed by this sweet woman. You look so very much like her and I daresay that you carry her spirit.
Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy birthday, dear Lily! Happy Birthday to you!
Mwah!
Thank you so very much for the awesome response and wonderful wishes @dswigle. You are so right, definitely a woman before her time! Whrn I complain about too many changing things especially what the pandemic has done to the world, she puts me in my place and tells me that's just how it is and it won't help going on and on about things as we need to just move forward, very wise words! Mom was a gorgeous bride and my Dad looked so handsome too.
I hope that I will have her resilience if I ever get to that grand old age;)
Your message warmed my heart and I'll show it to Mom tomorrow ❤
Sweet!! Tell her some strange lady online wishes her well! She definitely has an attitude of gratitude and I am sure that is one of the things it has kept her going, being able to move along to whatever beat is being played. Have a great time tomorrow!