Our Three Strand Life: Happy Birthday, Dear Mom

Today is one of my favorite people in this entire world's birthday. Today is my mom's birthday! I know all of you out there think your mom is the greatest thing since sliced bread, but my mom is actually the one who made the executive decision to cut the bread up into individual slices. F'real.

Okay, so maybe the bread thing wasn't fully true... but she's still the greatest mother the world has ever seen. A delicate blend between Mother Theresa and Leigh Anne Tuohy (you know, Sandra Bullock's character from The Blind Side!), my mom is the most selfless yet kick butt woman I know. She may leave half a dozen untouched water bottles in the car over the course of a week, but she never leaves you hangin'.

She's the kind of mom that when she hears you don't have socks, comes home with a bag load of new ones for you. Oh, you like Greek yogurt? I'll just stock your fridge for ya! You say your razor is a piece of junk? Let me treat you to one and stock you up on blades for the next year!! You fell running up the stairs and now have a lump the size of an egg on your shin? Let me nurse that back to health. Oh, you're low on Vitamin C? Oh just take mine. You need to borrow a sweatshirt? Help yourself - they're on the right side of my closet. Your heart is aching? Let me hold you until the pain eases. Your spirit is low? I'm already praying for it. You live far away? You're always in my heart, no matter the distance.

My mom has been my best friend as far back as I can remember. She has been my teacher, my friend, my cheerleader, a major source of wisdom and strength here on this earth and the greatest mother I could have ever asked God for. She may not have been the best Barbie doll player, but she always tried! And we might have had baked chicken a few too many times as kids, but she always brought us together for dinner. She could have had a personal life during those days, but she chose to sacrifice it to homeschool us all. She taught me and my siblings how to love learning... and how to learn to love. (And you should see how freakishly close we all still are because of it! Two thumbs UP to homeschooling!!).

I'm sitting here like a big baby all teary-eyed because I'm all grown up now and am missing out on the chance to run up to her and tell her these things in person. But the thing is, she already knows them. She knows how much I love her, because I never miss a chance to tell her.