Happy Birthday to my sweet Mom!

My mom really knows how to make you feel special on your birthday. So much so that my sisters and I have joked each year that she ruined our birthdays for us because no one can live up to the standard that my mom set for our birthdays. It's not presents or fancy meals or anything you can buy. She makes me feel like it was the best day of her life the day I was born and somehow makes each of her children feel the same way. My favorite birthday tradition is my mom calling me to tell me to story of the day I was born. I feel so lucky to have a mom who considers that a very special day and still remembers it with so much love.

I can't tell my mom about the day she was born but I am so thankful for that day! I have seen baby pictures of her and she was a beautiful child. She grew up knowing that she wanted to be a mom more than anything else in her life. She had me when she was 22 and when the nurse handed me to my mom for the first time she said "You have no idea how long I have waited for this day." The surprised nurse said "How old are you?!?" As my mom raised me and my siblings, I never doubted that her family was the most important thing in her life. She showed this every day. She was always there to listen to me, no matter what she was doing when I came to her. I remember interrupting her during her favorite TV show and she turned it off without hesitation to listen to whatever it was I wanted to talk to her about (and it didn't matter to her whether or not it was important). This has continued to my adult life- my mom is the first person I turn to when I need to talk something out. She somehow perfectly knows when to get upset along with me, when to give advice, and when to just listen. There are times when I call her and talk for an hour and wonder how she is not exhausted. What amazes me is that she does the same for the rest of my family too. She is always there and available for us and ready to lend a listening ear.

Another thing I really admire about my mom is how well she managed money as I was growing up. She is able to stretch a dollar further than anyone I know. I remember her studying the grocery store ads and planning where to buy what she needed so that she could get the best prices. She also sacrificed buying things for herself to stay within budget. I remember years where my mom did not have any new clothes for herself. She and my dad always taught us that it was important not to spend money you didn't have, and my mom worked very hard to make this possible. I don't know how she did it, and the amazing part to me is that she never complained or talked about wanting more, or what she was giving up for us.

My mom has also been there for me in many other ways throughout my life. One of my favorite memories is of my mom proudly declaring to me "I will be your CHAMPION!" She said this to me on a day when I was in my freshman year of college, when I was in a difficult situation and things were looking bleak. I can't even recall the specific details of what I was worried about. I will never forget how good it felt to have a mom who was there for me- I knew I was going to be ok no matter what happened.

A fun thing that my mom and I share is a love of reading. When I was very young she shared this love with me by reading to me often. When I started reading books in school, my mom would read the books at the same time and we would spend hours talking about them. I still enjoy recommending books to my mom to read and being able to talk to her about them later.

I am so proud of my mom for the courage and strength she has shown in facing some tough challenges the past month. I am so thankful to have such a wonderful mom and friend.

Mom, Happy Birthday! I wish I could celebrate it with you! I love you AND I like you!