Happy Birthday, Mom!

This is very dangerous for me. My wife informs me on a regular basis that I have a strange way of turning compliments into critique or satire. This is probably true, but what fun is having a blog if I can't skewer the ones I love?

With that, I'd like to wish my mom a happy birthday today and relate some memories I have of my mother from my childhood.

One of the things I love about having a son is the unbridled enthusiasm he shows for the mundane. I possess a rather remarkable ability to make even the most exciting things seem mundane, a trait handed down from my mother. It's always been very difficult to draw a sense of excitement out of my mom, and once it was achieved, the only outward sign was that she'd raise her eyebrows just a little bit. That was what you got.

As you can see from this picture taken a couple of weeks ago, my mom has little enthusiasm for sitting in the rain watching a 4th of July parade. My wife and aunt were slightly more amiable.

Now don't get me wrong -- I always knew in my heart that my mom was more excited about things than she let on, but it just wasn't in her nature to burst with happiness at, well, anything. Grant's arrival came pretty close. And I suspect the arrival of two more grand-kids in the next few months will ring her bell. We'll see.


So I watch Grant with great joy as he reacts to things. Last week we babysat two little girls for a friend of ours. Grant was in seventh heaven showing them all his toys and trains. (In just a few more years, some of his means of expressing himself to the ladies will become punishable offenses. Enjoy these freebie years while you can, son.)

I came down the stairs at one point to hear him showing off, with great enthusiasm, the new coffee maker I'd purchased the night before. It's nothing special. It's just a new coffee maker. No cappuccino or espresso, just coffee. But because I'd shown an interest in it, Grant was showing an interest in it, which made me smile.

"Did you guys see our new coffee pot? Isn't it CUTE!?!" Indeed it is, Grant. Indeed it is.

As a young child, my mom also provided me a great sense of safety and contentment that only a mother can provide. My memory extends back to when I was about three years old (in sharp contrast to Erin's which extends back about three weeks...she can't actually remember what high school she attended or where she left her car).

I can remember sitting in my mother's lap watching cartoons on channel 40, and I'm certain that at the time, I was sure that there was nothing that could go wrong in the world. I was completely safe and at ease, because I was with my mom.

I think about those moments a lot when Grant is sitting with me, and we're watching Peter Pan or reading his books about cars. I hope he feels that same sense of safety that my mom provided me, and I hope it's something I'm able to provide him with for a long time to come.

So happy birthday, mom! May God bless you with many "2 for 1" coupons and low priced gasoline for many years to come!