Happy Mother’s Day

I sat down to write an epic piece about my mom this morning.  I could say this thing or that and recount incredible tales that would convince you that she was, in fact mother of the century.  Suffice to say that she’s tolerated my ridiculousness for (41) years – that alone qualifies her for sainthood, right? 

If you know her, you know that she exemplifies on the regular what we all should strive to be on the daily – caring, compassionate, strong.  She showed me a path for my life by how she lived her own.  She let me choose my own direction and when I ran too slow or fouled it all up, she sat me back on the right.  She gave me a dangerous freedom at a young age and she never censored me.  She just let me, be me.  The incredible thing is that we’ve never really talked specifically about whatever the “thing” is.  A (30) second conversation with my mom about an Indiana basketball game tells me everything I need to know about anything I need to know.  She doesn’t have to say what she’s thinking for me to understand what she’s saying.  She’s realistically the only enduring constant in my random life.

If I were to live for a hundred more years, I could never repay the debt I owe you, Mom.  I haven’t always made the right decisions and I’ve made plenty of mistakes along the way.  I haven’t always traveled the path you would have chosen for me, but I’ve finally found my way – on my own terms.  That path wasn’t a straight line from there to here but your spirit was with me at every turn.  Thank you for your patience and always knowing exactly what to say or not to say and when.

Happy Mothers Day Mom.  I couldn’t love you more.