Happy Birthday

We've all been there, just as I was, slowly strolling up and down the aisles of Target, carefully reading each and every greeting card that doesn't say "mother" on it, because really, I don't call her that. She is Mom, simple as that. Do I go for the overly sentimental 5 paragraph book of a card? No, probably not. It isn't her style, or mine either for that matter, if I wanted to write her 5 paragraphs, I'd do it myself. And so I wander on, picking up this one and that, seeing if it "fits" just right. It has to fit our relationship. It has to be meaningful without a lot of frills, kind of like me. I hold these greeting cards to a very high standard because today is the day that I want to show my Mom just how special she is to me. I want to thank her for always being there for me, and she and I know exactly what that means. We know how far she's gone for me, and how much of herself she's given me every day since before I was born. In as few words as possible, I simply want to tell her I love her, and thank you for being you, the best Mom in the world.

I finally find one suitable, it is beautiful, couldn't be prettier than if I'd made it myself which, I could but my Mom knows how busy this time of year is. She'd rather I'd spend my time dreaming up the order of KFC we traditionally bring to the beach for our yearly picnic in her honor. Yes, we are so fancy. Every year, on my Mom's birthday, we pack up all of the essentials and head to KFC for fried chicken, beans, biscuits, mashed potatoes and coleslaw. We always order enough chicken to ensure that everyone get a taste on the way to the beach because it is sheer torture to smell KFC the 20 minutes it takes to get to our favorite beach. We nestle ourselves in our seats and munch the finger-lickin'-goodness all the way there.

The rest of the day is spent beach combing, sunning, swimming, sand castle making, log-hopping and if you are my Dad, napping in the shade listening to the baseball game on a portable radio.

To my Mom, these are the only gifts she requires, this one special day to spend with her family in a beautiful spot. A spot full of the memories of times past, when I was a little girl and my grandparents would join us at this very beach, sometimes bringing KFC.

Happy Birthday Mom.

I love you.