Happy Birthday, Mom!

Check out pictures of Mom below!

Today is my mother's 54th birthday. When we ask her what she wants for her b-day, she always says, "Just write me a sweet note." So to obey her wishes, I will try to write a few words about the woman who has loved me my entire life and molded me into the person I am today.

My mother was raised very differently than me. She lived most of her childhood in Elmont, NY on Long Island. She was the youngest of 6 although 2 of her sister's died as infants. Her father was a naval captain and did many dangerous missions during WW2. Her mother went to college, a very unusual thing in the early 30s, and was a school teacher. Mom lived in a very traditional Irish Catholic family. In fact, when I read Tim Russert's book, it sounded very much like my mother's upbringing.

Like most good catholic girls, she went to an all girls catholic university, Salve Regina, in Newport, RI. It was there that she met the incredibly handsome, charming, C of C, naval officer candidate from Alabama. After a brief friendship (mom was engaged to someone else at the time) they fell head over heals for each other and my mom and dad are still incredibly in love after 33 years of marriage.

My mother lived through a few early heart breaks. My dad and mom left Newport, and the only life Mom had ever known to move to Alabama so Dad could work on his Masters degree at U of A. To a New Englander, this might as well been a foreign country!

Her mother, who by all accounts was an amazing woman and mother, died of breast cancer when my mom was 25 and I was 11 months old. I always thought that this was so sad until I had children of my own. Now, being a young mom myself, I don't know how she raised us without having her mother to help guide her.

Instead of dwelling on the sadness, Mom poured every ounce of herself into her family. She exuded the fruit of the spirit seemingly without struggle. She is the most patient and loving person I have ever know. She rarely left us to go on a date or vacation when we were young and we loved it! She preferred to be home with Dad and the three of us. She held us when we were sick, made us healthy meals every night, rocked us to sleep, and made my growing up experience as idyllic as a person could only dare to hope for. I have VERY big shoes to fill.

I am so blessed to live close to her. Mom has said that she feels like God has blessed her b/c she sacrificed so much by moving 1,000s of miles away from her close knit family to create her own family. Now my sister and I live within miles of her and Michael is within a few hours as well. She is able to be the mother and grandmother that she wished her own mother could have been.

Some things I have learned from my mother:
*Live your faith. My mom could tell you that she was never good about memorizing scripture. She is also too shy to teach a bible school class, but everyone she ran into would know she is a Christian by the way she lives.

*Be strong and be real.

*Be a steak not a hamburger. She used to tell us this a lot when we were kids and we thought it was such a funny expression. Translation: don't be ordinary...be extraordinary!

*Wear sunscreen. Not quite as deep as other lessons, but she has beautiful skin at 54.

*My mom taught us the true meaning of selflessness. I have never known anyone more selfless. She gave all of herself to her family and never complained.

*Bloom where you are planted. Find happiness in all your circumstances.

Happy Birthday Mama! I love you.