This Year, It’s More Than Just a Birthday . . .

Today is my mom’s 73rd birthday.  It feels different – while we have always celebrated Mom’s birthdays and they have been very special days, the events of the past year have made me realize the need to cherish each one.

We got together at my brother’s house on Sunday evening.  It is not easy to schedule an evening that includes all of us – I had a football game to announce on Friday, Ryan worked late on Saturday, Blake’s son Conner went on the evening shift on Monday, and his son Tyler left a few weeks ago to begin college at Miami University.  So we settled on Sunday evening – Ryan came from work and we Skyped with Tyler from college (I had never experienced Skype before).

The only thing Mom ever wants for her birthday is time with her family, but we still try to find something special for her.  She especially enjoys the cards – Blake’s boys always design a card with a special message on the computer; I usually try to find one that’s extremely silly.  But that just didn’t seem appropriate this year.

So I got a tender card and wrote a note on the back.  For those of you who don’t need the challenge of deciphering my handwriting, here is what I wrote . . .

 This is not a funny card . . . this is not a funny birthday.  Last year (and every year before that), I took your birthday for granted.  Three days later, everything changed.  Now, I cherish every moment we share.  I am so proud of you and the way you have carried yourself this past year.  Thanks for letting me share a part of our lives with the people I encounter on my travels – in many ways, you have become part of their families, too.  I love you so much – I have many titles in life, and it has always meant so much to me that one of the most important ones is “Carolyn’s Son.”

                                                                                                                               Greg