Happy Birthday to the Greatest Mom on the Planet!

Today (April 11) is my mother’s birthday!  She’s 55, and though not necessarily young anymore, she still has the energy of a woman half her age.  For her birthday, I wanted to get her something she wanted, something out of the realm of her thought process.  I didn't care about cost, I just wanted her to know how much I appreciated her.  So I asked her, and of course she said she didn’t want a thing.  What do you say to something like that?  She is already a difficult person to buy for because she is exactly the opposite of my brother and father, who tend to buy everything they want the day it comes out.  My mother would rather live the simple life.  So I go back to my quandary of what to get the woman that doesn’t want anything but a phone call with a birthday wish; well I give her what she wants as well as my expression of love and admiration through the only bit of communication I know well, the written word.   

For almost 30 years my mom has raised me to be a righteous man, a man dedicated to serving my neighbor and serving God.  She doesn’t teach me by word alone, she teaches me through her actions.  She raised 4 children through much of her life, and then when she thought she was done, another gift arrived nearly 13 years ago.  Without complaint, she worried not for herself, but for those in the family she believed it would affect, another example of her desire to do what is right for those she loves.

She is also one of the funniest women I have ever met.  Never willing to take herself too seriously and always keeping her humor clean, she lives her life to the fullest while always striving to be better.  She never sees herself and the woman she really is because perfection is unattainable and she wants for nothing less. She is truly incredible! 

Whenever I struggle with anything in my life I go to her for her unconditional love, for her willingness to tell the truth regarding mistakes I’ve made and how to fix them as well as focusing on my strengths and how to utilize them.  She gives because it’s who she is, not because it’s what she believes she needs to do. 

Mom, I love you more than any set of words could describe. Your love and support mean more to me than you will ever know.  Although this present isn’t material, know that it is from the heart.  Again I love you and hope you have a wonderful birthday.