Betty is 91 Today and Still Going Strong!

Today, my mom Betty turns 91. And as I do here every year on the 21st of April, I take a moment to give a shout-out to her on her birthday.

It hasn’t been an easy year to be sure. Betty got COVID in January, which at her age is a tough thing. She grew very weak and ended up in the hospital, then was discharged to a care home where she is staying as a long-term resident.

The good news is that Betty is still going strong, so much so that sometimes she often tries to do more than she physically can. Earlier this month, she got rushed to the hospital after trying to get out of her wheelchair by herself. Man, was she banged up. She looked like she went ten rounds with Tyson. Fortunately, she is healing nicely. I saw her on Sunday and you can barely see the scar from the gash on her forehead.

As a side note, I do want to thank you guys for your thoughtful messages and prayers for Betty. The show of support and prayers from so many quarters has been greatly appreciated by the entire family.

If you are a longtime reader of PatriotRetort.com, you know how much Betty means to me. It’s fair to say that she has always been the most influential person in my life.

Last Friday I had to undergo extensive testing on my eyes to make sure my long-term use of hydroxychloroquine isn’t damaging the macula. And as my eye doctor’s office is in my hometown, when the technician learned that Betty was my mother, her face lit up and she said, “Oh, we LOVE Betty here!”

That’s the general consensus everywhere, to be honest.

Betty is universally beloved.

Most people describe her as “sweet” and “kind,” and she definitely is. But she is also supremely strong and resilient.

In short, she is one hell of a tough cookie.

You don’t get to 91 any other way.

She spent her childhood in war-torn Germany and left her home in the late fifties to come here with her American husband despite knowing nothing about this strange country. And when my father died suddenly at 27, Betty carried on, getting a job selling Amway while raising my brother and me.

Betty is a fighter who sticks to her principles and her faith no matter what life flings at her. And, damn, do I love her for it.

So I hope you will all join me in wishing her a very happy birthday today.

Happy birthday, Mom!

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