Cancer Survivor, writing about Health and Fitness as you age

Today is my mother's birthday - or it would have been if she was still alive. She died 10 years ago this year of breast cancer - that seems like such a long, long time. I thought I'd remember her through some pictures - one  for each year she's been gone. And I'll share the link to my best remembrance of her: Khabi Khabie Mere Dil Mein I don't have many pictures of my mom and me, but these are just a couple I found (graduation pictures)  I love the picture of my mom and the flowers, so I am repeating this picture. I am glad she was able to travel a bit before she died - on the left, here she is at the Eiffel Tower and below, Madame Tussaud's in London. I love you Mo.

Sometimes the thought crosses my mind that you've been made just for me. Before this, you were dwelling somewhere in the stars; you were summoned to earth just for me... Sometimes the thought crosses my mind that this body and these eyes are kept in trust for me that the dark shadows of your hair are for my sake alone, that these lips and these arms are charged to my care... These are the first two verses (translated) of one of my mom's favourite songs- Khabi Khabie, from the movie of the same name. The song was written by poet Sahir Ludhianvi with music composed by Mohammed Zahar Khaiyamm and sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Mukesh. It is such a beautiful, soul-baring and hair-raising love song. Here is a picture of my mom surrounded by the flowers she loved, for her 60th birthday. She died 5 years later. Ironically, she never knew what the lyrics meant. Today marks 7 years since she died, but some of the things I have to be grateful for are: - We had a loving relationsh...