My Mother...

...is a wonderful Mother, she is wise beyond her years, she is patient, she has a great sense of humor and she is a fantastic Grandmother to my children.  In some ways we are similar and in others it is hard to believe we came from the same stock. She is my Mom and I love her very much, even if she does think I have too many pairs of shoes.

From a very early age my Mom taught me the value of saying "Thank You"

She impressed on me how important it is to have eye contact with the ones you love, especially during an important conversation

She is a great cook...the rolls on my legs tell that story well

She can dance to Copacabana like it is her J-O-B, and she can really belt it out

She might have known it, but I always looked up to her and still do...despite towering over her

She is a kid at heart

She was great at balancing her career and her family...and was always so organized

She did in fact know how to lay down the law...and was frequently referred to as "boss" by my Father

She knew how to have a "berry" good time (I seriously crack myself up)

Her fashion sense left a little to be desired...

Eat your heart out Roy Rogers (She actually owns a Roy Rogers watch)

She always had my back

Her shoulder is one of the best to cry on and easily the best to lean on

She introduced me to my passion for travel (in fact, I think she must have given me her passion, because these days a trip to Target is adventurous for her - love you Mom)

And the best thing about my Mom is...she will always be my Mom whether I am 7 years old, 18 years old, 26 years old, 32 years old or 45 years old. She will always worry when I worried, she will always wish she could be here to take care of me when I am sick, she will call to remind me to pay my Electric Bill even though its been set up on auto-pay for the last 6 years, she will spoil my children and attempt to hide the bags from my Dad, who clearly knows what she is up to and loves her for it, and she will continue to be that lady in the Hallmark store who is laughing so hard while card shopping that she pees her pants. She is my Mom, and I love her to pieces.