My Mother – Joyce | Tasithoughts' Weblog

Born on August 28, 1939 in the island of Guam, my mother turns 72 years old this year but you would not know it. She does not look it and certainly does not act it. Joyce I. Martratt is one of the most energetic women on this planet. A mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, she is also a working woman, a community leader, and a woman involved heavily in her church.

Joyce I. Martratt

My mother lives in her faith, not driven so much by its theology, but more by the spirit of service and commitment that has imbued her life. This has all been augmented by prayer. She is no shy butterfly. Mom has always been on the forefront of everything. She has never been afraid to speak her mind. This is something she ( maybe to her regret sometimes) has passed on to her five children , four sons and a daughter.

She has lived through the ravages of war , poverty, a husband with an incurable disease, children who sometimes where close to death, family who have died, natural disasters, health issues, and great emotional distress. Through it all , she has remained consistent and strong.

I have always thought if there were such creatures as angels, they were personified in the person of my mother here on earth. It is not because she is perfect but because her heart and her intent are always in the right place. I know she has the most extreme capacity to love. She is always learning and has such a wonderful intelligence.

Whatever good I have in me is because of what she taught me.

I am honored to be her son. I love her and am so glad that I can call her Mom, Mama, Mommy and all those wonderful names that come with mother.

She has always been a beauty, but her greatest beauty is what emanates from her soul.

Happy Birthday, mom!