Strength, Courage and Wisdom

These days I'm finding myself want to know more about my mother. Could it be that since she's battling colon cancer (last report was optimistic) that this is some sort of morbid "I'd better get all that I can while she's here" knee-jerk reaction? I dunno.

All I know is that I now view my mother in a TOTALLY different light. She's been through major surgery, undergoing chemo therapy treatments and has not complained once. When you call her, she's upbeat and always cracking jokes.

What I'm learning about my mother is that she is the strongest, most courageous, wisest person I know. Often I find myself saying one of her sayings that I realize now were so full of wisdom:

1. If you lie, you'll steal - my cousin and I used to crack up over this one, but now we use this line ourselves!
   
2. only thing open after 12:00 is legs - this was always said after some boy/man I was dating wanted to pick me up late)
3. always have escape money - this is money that you take on a date in case he ditches you and you need to get home on your own
4. always believe someone when they show you who they are

She has a whole host of others, I think I'll get with friends/family and gather them all. She's such a strong, courageous, wise person and I regret that I spent so much time being angry at who she wasn't, that its not until now that I appreciate who she is.