Happy Birthday!

Over the years, I've written lots of stories...about my kids, about myself, about life, but there's one person I usually tell my stories to, long before they're written; my mom.   She calls me when there's a typo. 

Mom's my first friend after my husband.  She often hears all my heart holds.   What she should hear more often from me, is thank you. 

What she should hear more often from me is; Thank you for joining that book of the week club back when I was a kid.  I read those stories to my kids and they love them as much as I did.

Thank you for telling me to read the books I didn't want to read, because they were really good books once I let myself read them.

Thank you for telling me to get a hair cut, go to the gym, giving me a subscription to Magnificat and introducing me to some of the better chocolates out there.

Thank you for taking me shopping when I couldn't or wouldn't find the time. 

Thank you for asking past the ordinary, "How are things?" when you knew for whatever reason, I wasn't talking.

Thank you for telling me when you didn't like something.

Thank you for coming to visit and spending whole days talking about whatever it was.

Thank you for my faith, and for growing it even when I didn't know it needed growing.

Thank you for coming to the rescue of your family, again and again and again and again and again. 

Thank you for witnessing to your children, "Yes." even when yes meant something hard. 

Thank you for witnessing with Dad with your marriage.

Thank you for my two brothers and one sister.

Thank you for putting up with the stupid fights my brothers and I got into whenever we'd be left unchecked. 

Thank you for putting me in dancing and piano and everything else I wanted to try.

Thank you for telling me sometimes, it was okay to not sign up for things even if it took me a while to believe it.

Thank you for demanding I do more than the minimum in academics. 

Thank you for telling me when you think I'm doing too much.

Thank you for telling me when you think we need to give someone a little push of encouragement.

Thank you.  Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you for being Mom.

Oh and...Happy Birthday!  Love you.