Day Three: My Mother's Birthday

Today I am grateful for my family - that we are all healthy and happy again - but today I am particularly grateful for my mother. You see, today is my mother's birthday. We had her over for dinner, the boys and I had made a cake and so "Happy Birthday" was sung (my four-year-old was the loudest, as he pointed out to all of us) and candles were blown out with assists from her grandsons and a grand night was had by all.

And I realized that although I don't say it often enough - I don't even think it very often - I am very grateful to still have my mother in my life. Not only because she helps out A LOT in the babysitting department; not only because she loves me more than anyone else every could (and I know that now because I know how I feel about my own two children) - I like having her around just because she's, well, my mom.

She can drive me crazier than anybody else can; Sometimes it feels like she pushes my buttons on purpose; Other times I just want to scream while she retells the past and distorts it to suit her needs (then again, don't we all?) - but I know how very much I would miss her if she wasn't around to drive me so crazy :)

Over the past couple of years I have watched my mother age not just in years, but in physical wear and tear as well. It's scared me a little bit. Overall my mother is in good health, but she's had more trouble over the past three years than she has for probably most of her life - nothing life threatening - but the years have started to have an effect.

So today I'd like to take a moment to appreciate my mother for all she has done, for me and my entire family, for all that she has tried to do out of love for us and all the things she will do in the future just because she wants to help out.

Thank you, Mom. It's nice havin' ya around :)