happy birthday mom

Today would have been my mother’s 61st birthday and is about a month and a half since the fifth anniversary of her death.

I miss my mom a lot. Those who knew her will understand why. Those of you who know me, know a part of her that is alive in me and my brother and sister.

I spent a couple days this week with my dear friend Skeeter, who also became close friends with my mom. One of the things that saddens me about not having my mom around is that new friends won’t get the chance to know her in that way.

I woke up this morning at 5 AM in Pacific Grove. Preparing a pre-race breakfast, I felt the strong presence of mom. In the foggy coastal pre-dawn, I was reminded of how much she supported my racing (or at least eventually did… I had to run away from home for the day to compete in my first race.) On the drive to Santa Cruz, we crossed some roads that I cycled with my mom when I joined a group of her friends during a tour in this area.

Generally on significant mom-anniversaries, I’ve had some of my best races. I won my last Cat. 3 race a few years ago on Mothers’ Day and this year in the same race took 7th in the pro field. This summer, on the anniversary of her death, I took fourth in the last masters’ race at Superweek and sewed up my 2nd place overall for the series. Today, however, the hills of Santa Cruz were even too much for mom. But I sure appreciate you cheering me on, mom. I miss you and I love you!

R.I.P.: Barbara Jean Herrema-Guikema: August 28, 1944 - July 16, 2005.