Celebrating 90 years of living a worthy milestone

Nine decades of life.
That’s a whole lot of living to celebrate for the woman who brought me into this world. You simply can’t put into words what someone that special means to you, but it was fun to give it a go.
As long as I’ve known her, Elna Johnson has enjoyed planning celebrations and making others feel special, but this time the spotlight was on her. For many of those Jan. 3 birthdays, as I recall, Mom accepted cards, gifts and well wishes, but truth be told would have preferred not to be the center of attention. But this one was different — a milestone worth marking.
Long before her 90th birthday, Mom had hinted that she wanted to spend some quality time with family and her wide circle of friends in Imperial and beyond. She’s made so many connections over the years through her church, the Imperial Community Foundation, as well as newspaper friends throughout the state and nation. All who know her count her as a friend, someone who always had a kind word or message of encouragement to share.
So what better way to celebrate her life than to spend time catching up, sharing memories and stories with her children, grandchildren, extended family and a community that loves her. It was heart-warming to see so many people come to her church to celebrate that 90-year milestone of life.
Several members of the next generation or two on her family tree flew in or drove a good distance to be there, though icy roads kept many people at home.
Mom made the most of it, mustering a week’s worth of energy for her big day. Like she always does, she showed by example that all the love, nurturing and sincere effort to connect with people you care about comes back to you and then some over time. That’s a gift that keeps on giving, one that my dear mother so richly deserves.
Happy 90th, Mom!
KURT JOHNSON can be reached at kjohnson@ hamilton.net