Happy Birthday, Mom
Today, my mom is 64 years old. The first conversation I had with Zoe this morning went something like this:
“Mommy, Mommy, GUESS whose birthday is today?!”
“Whose?!”
“It’s not Jesus’ birthday today, Mommy. Today, it’s GRANDMA’S birthday!!”
“I know! Isn’t it wonderful?”
“Yes.”
Zoe paused, looking slightly puzzled. “Mommy, Grandma said she’s not having a birthday cake. She says she wants Christmas cookies (???) instead.”
Zoe was right. Mom isn’t really a huge sweets eater. She preferred to open her gifts while drinking a cup of afternoon coffee and eating Christmas cookies. I can’t help but smile as I reflect on that. I can’t tell you the number of hours Mom has spent listening to me spill my guts over afternoon coffee and cookies. For as many years as I can remember, no matter how busy or tired she has been, she has always had time and attention for me (and she still does!). I struggle to emulate her ability to sacrificially offer “quality time love” to all of us. In fact, as I type, she’s teaching my daughters to crochet.:)
The kids enjoyed our little birthday coffee this afternoon (We’d have put whipped cream and chocolate sauce on her coffee—We always enjoy frilly coffee on our birthdays—except that Mom has a strong dislike for froo froo stuff in her coffee:)). Mom had a nice card from her mom (our Grams), a devotional book from us, an awesome new roaster from Dad, and a gift from her sister Martha (our Aunt Bop).
When Mom opened a puzzle from her sister, Adam gifted her with the complete exclamation, “Oh, it’s a box!” From his perspective, it was a box (all he could see was the back). Mom turned it around and showed him that it was a puzzle, which caused him to repeat (sounding more impressed), “a puzzle!” I love the way my kids develop in spurts. Just when you least expect it, complete sentences tumble from their lips. Mom was delighted, but not surprised. She and Dad have never believed there was anything impossible for the kids (most of all because they know that nothing is impossible for God), and they’ve always been able to see right past the jumble of sensory issues to the grand potential within. Tonight, Adam further gifted her by leading the kids’ entire Bible time by himself. He took off reading the Bible story (pretty well, too) and finished it off by putting the Bible away. I heard Mom ask with a chuckle, “Does anyone else get to read tonight?”
Then I heard Kevin say (with a smile in his voice), “Well, I guess not.”
Mom enjoyed her gifts (and I’m sure there are many more to come from others who love her but couldn’t be with us for birthday coffee), but I have to say that no amount of presents could convey the gift that she is to all of us. I wish you could hear Riley right now, as Mom (who is very, very tired tonight) tickles and hugs her. Riley’s giggling with this deep, beautiful, continuous, cascading giggle.
“Grandma, why’re you laughing?”
“Why are you laughing?”
“….(giggle giggle giggle)…because I’m silly.”
After the kids go to bed, Dad, Kevin, Mom, and I are celebrating her birthday over steak and baked potatoes while we watch a movie together. I feel like these small, fun expressions of our love for her are so meager, and yet, I know that Mom delights in the simplest joys. She is a treasure to all of us, the one who has always sacrificed herself that we all might know how much she loves us. She’d give her last breath to see her family happy. No matter what we’ve struggled through, and no matter what’s to come, we’ve never doubted that Mom loves us with every ounce of her energy and every talent and resource God has given her. She is a beautiful, strong, profoundly talented lady with a tender, generous, serving heart. Happy birthday, Mom. Words aren’t enough to say what you mean to us. It’s such a blessing to see our kids love you as deeply as we do. May God give us the means to show you in the same fantastic way that you show all of us. We count it a tremendous blessing to be able to spend time with you on your birthday.
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