On August 20, 1994 I lost my Mom. She hadn’t been sick very long. What we first thought was bronchitis was, after a month or so, diagnosed as lung cancer. Once diagnosed she passed 3 weeks later. She was 61.
This day is always a sad day for me even after all these years … 28. You never really get over losing your Mom but you learn to live with it. And you learn to move on and savour all the wonderful memories. And part of all this for me is choosing to highlight the positives and quirkiness of August 20.
There are a number of interesting National holiday’s on August 20. Things like …
National Radio Day
World Honey Bee Day
World Mosquito Day
National Chocolate Pecan Pie Day
When I read the list I thought to myself …
“Seriously, World Mosquito Day!”
Then I got curious and looked it up. Well, much to my astonishment it actually exists. Apparently it is observed to commemorate Sir Ronald Ross’s discovery in 1897 that female Anopheline mosquitoes transmit the malaria parasite to humans. And, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine has been organizing an annual event since the 1930s to mark the British doctor’s work. So there you have it.
I also looked up World Honey Bee Day which falls on the 3rd Saturday of August and this year it’s August 20. This day recognizes the honey bee and the beekeepers who tend to the hives. Furthermore it encourages everyone to enjoy and buy locally grown honey. This is particularly interesting to me because my brother in law is a relatively new beekeeper (2021) and this year is his first year extracting honey. It’s a process from what my husband told me as he joined his brother spinning the honey from one of the hives. His official words were ….
“Lots of jars of honey, lots of work, but really tasty.”
These 2 national holidays are helping to lighten my day this year.
Until the next time.