Today is my mother's birthday, and at the risk of sounding like I'm trying to get something out of her, I wanted to take a moment to recognize her...one of the few people who can make me smile with a single memory. She's gone to bat for us kids more times than I can count (or probably even know about.) Not a (cognitively stable) person can meet my mother and not want to hug her. Or instantly fall in love with her. She's warm and caring and very affectionate (just don't try to kiss her on her face. Don't do it.) Just the thought of her brings a sense of fondness to my heart. If my mom loves you, she's probably your biggest fan, and it doesn't matter if you're family or not. It's as simple as that. My kids adore her, even Leo, who gives her a run for her money on a weekly basis. Patrick cries to see his Grandma and rarely wants to leave her house. If I threaten to take toys away, he's replied to me, "Go ahead and do it. Grandma will give them back to me later."
Several times, my mom has said to me, "Cate, you're a good mom." While I never tire of hearing her say it, I wonder if she realizes that part of the reason we have this fun and crazy little family is because I had a good mom. I didn't come up with all of this on my own. I wanted a dozen kids because I wanted to be just like her. (Later, I realized that she didn't really have a dozen of us.) Little did I know that I was destined to take after her, anyway. As my own kids get a little older, I find myself swimming in mom-isms. And now, even though we tease her relentlessly, she is still one of the funniest, goofiest, and most supportive people I have ever met. When something good happens, it doesn't really sink in until I get to tell my mom about it. When something bad happens, the only thing that helps sometimes is to cry to my mom. And now, even at 31, when I get sick, the only place I want to be is on my mom's couch, even if she swears that grape juice is the only remedy. She's remarkable.
Happy Birthday, Mom. You are literally second-to-none.
It seems to me that my mother was the most splendid woman I ever knew, and I have met a lot of people knocking around the world since. If I have amounted to anything, it will be due to her.-Charles Chaplin
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