It is funny how life turns out, surprises me with little things that constantly make me smile and if I’m open puts me in the path of people I need to meet.I encourage you to go back and read Between Me and You Part I as it will give you the history to this story.
For mother’s day this past year or heck maybe it was 2011, I can’t remember, my sister and I gave my mom the Between Me and You-Mom journal.This journal is broken out into several sections and asks questions about:· When You Were a Kid
· Your Youth
· My Dad
· What About Me
· You, Now
· Other Stuff
The journal was a way for my mom to document our lives together and a keepsake I will always have long after she is gone and hopefully be able to pass down to my children someday.
This year for Christmas my mom gave the jfilled in ournals back to my sister and me.I couldn’t wait to read the journal but I knew I would have to be alone because I was guaranteed to cry.During my Christmas vacation I snuggled up in one of my favorite chairs and started to read.It was so AMAZING!I learned things about my mom I never knew. I learned things about her and my father, her family and her dreams for the future.I learned about sadness and joy that surround my birth that I had never heard about. My mom wrote,
“The day we brought you home was filled with people coming and going all day and evening long. I was there all day except for leaving to go out to the farm to see Grandma Braley.Grandpa passed away that afternoon. A friend from Tangelwood church wrote in a card that, “You were the rosebud and he was the rose that withered.” “
I learned more about her dreams for me, regrets she had in her life and she gave me a ton a great advice through her favorite quotes. She wrote:
“Instead of advice I will share some of my favorite quotes and Bible verses that can serve as advice.”Click here to read my mom’s favorite quotes and verses.I wrote a separate post because they were too good to keep to myself!
After reading the journal I texted my sister to see if she had read her journal.Of course she hadn’t. She had stuck in her nightstand drawer and forgot about it.Here is our conversation about the journal:
Me: Have u read your journal from mom?
Cortney:No. why? Is it good? I figured I would cry so I haven’t yet!
Me:It’s good…and yes I cried!
Cortney: I figured…I may start reading it tonight then.
Jump head a few hours later
Cortney:Love that Nanna was awarded the “spirit stick!”
Me: I know…right!
Cortney: I just laughed out loud that mom and dad double-dated with Owen and Hope. These books are great! I need to get one to fill out for Jos while I can still remember stuff…haJ
Me: I know. U can order them off amazon.
My gift for this day was to my friend Winston, who created and publishes the Between Me and You Journals.I love that I can call him my friend.Two year ago we were strangers and now we meet for breakfast almost every month. On this day, I paid for his breakfast. It was a thank you for accepting that first request to meet with someone he didn’t know. Thanks Winston!I believe that life is about taking chances. Life doesn’t happen by sitting back and watching it go by. It happens by YOU being active, introducing yourself to strangers, taking up a new hobby, traveling to a place and daring to give of yourself more than you think is possible.What chances are you going to take? 
