Happy Birthday Mom!

I know a lot of my posting has had to do with my parents recently, but I couldn't let today pass without a note about my mom. She would have turned fifty-five today, and I imagine would have spent the evening having dinner with family and good friends. She probably would have had a lunch date with a few certain women yesterday or tomorrow, and there is a good chance it would have involved Fetuccini Alfredo. I just wanted to take a moment to share a few thoughts about the great women, I always knew as mom. She loved junk food, this women's sweet-tooth was insane and led to candy and chocolate being hidden in all sorts of places such as pots and pans and the back of the file cabinet. The wife of a dentist. . .go figure. She loved to decorate, but said she only knew how to do it on a budget and rarely strayed from her long time partners in crime, Ross's and TJ's. She had studied interior design in college and designed both the house I was raised in and my dad's dental office- she had a great talent few people were ever aware of and she got little credit for. She wasn't afraid to admit her faults, but more importantly she wasn't ashamed to admit her strengths, I appreciated that example of taking credit for your good attributes as well. She was strong willed and firm in her convictions regardless how unpopular they might be, but she was also tender and vulnerable and a true friend. She never went anywhere without lipstick- usually three or four shades darker than anyone else would dare to wear, and yet she somehow managed to pull it off. Despite always looking fabulous she could go from pajamas to perfect in less than ten minutes, and (she would kill me for this . . .) that included shaving her legs everyday. She had a secret thing for velour jumpsuits and loungewear sets, that almost led to her buying multiples of the same one before Brandi and I could stop her this last Christmas. I have never seen my mother without toe-nail polish, I've never even seen it chipped. Black, white and fuschia or red will always make me think of mom, and that women loved her bling and acessories! She had a slightly adventurous streak- most likely developed from dragging five kids to do things most people wouldn't imagine doing with two. I remember her telling me she had to figure out how to get out with all of us, because she would have gone crazy otherwise. She loved to read but rarely got a minute to really enjoy a book. She could cook and sew and sing, although cleaning wasn't one of her top priorities. I inherited her need for things to be tidy enough, but not necessarily anywhere close to lick the floor clean. She let little things go, like letting us ruin cookie batch after cookie batch when we felt like baking on our own or letting us ice skate on the kitchen floor and down the back hall. This involved soap and a lot of water and should have involved punishment but she just let us live it up. She made a huge deal out of birthdays and holidays and would always get our favorite cereal since we grew up on Cheerio's, Special K, Grape-Nuts, Shredded Wheat etc. She loved choir music and enjoyed local theater and musicals. For her birthday a few years ago my sisters and I went with her to Vegas to see Celine Dion, despite being horribly sick she did her best to enjoy the trip and provided us with memories we will cherish for a life time. Since we were all married, I was shocked at how much she opened up about previously taboo subjects and let her guard down. She hated to see us not reach our potential and wanted us to shoot for the stars, although she was also so afraid to see us get hurt if we failed. Most of all she dearly loved her family and friends and being with people. She loved a full house with good food more than anything else. I am saddened to think of the party or get-together not happening for her on this earth, but grateful to know she is with past loved ones and that my dad is still by her side and have faith that she had a great day without any mortal cares.

I love you Mom, Happy Birthday!