Today is my mom’s 58th birthday.  I didn’t get to see her as there are a few hundred miles between us, but I talked to her and thought of her quite a bit.  Her and I are very close and I’ve always felt so blessed to have her in my life.  She really is the best person I know for a lot of reasons.  She has been in my corner and behind me at all points in my life, whether things were going well or going bad.  I remember one time asking her one time about what she remembers about being pregnant with me and me as a baby.  She sent me this long email and told me about everything from before, during and after my birth.  But this paragraph just killed me….in the best possible way.

“I have always felt so fortunate with you………  I got everything I wanted with you…   I loved every moment of being pregnant with you, every moment of your being a baby….  (I was always thankful to your Dad that I was able to stay home with you as much as I did) and every year was a delight.   You were such a happy and fun kid……You made everything better.   Watching the world thru your eyes was so fun………Definitely, my favorite part of my life……..  Thank you so much…….I love you, Mom”

I still get teary eyed reading that.  Our bond has always been special.  Through my personal struggles with addiction and anxiety/depression she’s still been a steady supporter at all times.  One of the most special gifts I was given this past year was to have my novel published and to get the chance to thank my friends and family in a public way was a true blessing.  The words I wrote to my mom in the acknowledgment are some of the words I’m most proud of in the book.  I think they convey the way I feel about her and how I think about her.

“And to my mother. You are all things. All things good. All things love. All things courage. All things beauty. All things grace. I’ve never known a greater blessing than you.   You were the only sure thing in a life filled with long shots. This book and this life are written more for you than anyone.   You are my hero.”