Happy Birthday, Mommy!

Today is my mom's ?? birthday!! Hooray! (I'm not stupid enough to post which one it is! but it's also not a terribly high number either!)

Every year, nations around the world celebrate her birthday in high style, with fireworks displays, countdowns, parties and of course the Big Apple ball drop.

While I'm sure it's been fun to have a New Year's Eve birthday, it doesn't leave much for a kid who always has to share a birthday with a familiar holiday. In fact, my mother recalls several years when her birthday was forgotten by her own parents! Imagine that! We try our best not to repeat the sins of her parents, but this is one of those years we just aren't together to celebrate.

So, just so I'm not forgetting, here's her story:

My mom was born the last of three children to first generation Christians - at least in that family! Her parents met in DC, married in a small wedding in Annapolis at the Capital, and became Christians after their first two children were born. My grandmother never drove, was always sick and sent her first two children off to boarding school (Hampton DeBois), so my mom barely knew them as she was 8 years younger (yes, the mistake!).

My mom had rheumatic fever when she was in second grade and spent an entire year at home in bed. She recalls watching all the kids play each day outside her bedroom window, having blood drawn frequently at the doctor and having a home tutor. To this day she attributes that year to her being extremely shy, scared of doctors and I think it led to her being the most gentle spirited teacher I've ever met! I wish my girls could have her as a teacher!

When my mom went off to high school, she warned her parents that if they sent her away to boarding school like her brother and sister, she'd be home within a week - kicked out!! They heeded her warning and did not send her away. Instead, she was indentured to her mother, who would make her take her to the grocery store every day! so that she could meander up and down every single aisle to pick out the 8 or 9 items she chose for that particular day. I'm so glad my mother learned to drive!

My mom attended the King's College in Briarcliff Manor where she met the love of her life, David Miles. They were engaged in Times Square and life was a dream. That all ended abruptly when Dave was killed in a head on collision with a drunken driver one Thanksgiving vacation. As devastating as that was for her, I have always pondered the idea that I would not exist had he never died - such a strange thought!

My mom later was pursued by my dad, the organist at Kings, a student who came with little money but lots of brains to college from Illinois. He drove a car that could not go in reverse, paid for college with help from his grandmother, who agreed to match whatever he made at McDonald's or housesitting to help pay for school and who majored in history. He wanted to marry her, but not before trying to get his M. Div. at Moody. My mom, in the same stubborn manner in which she threatened her parents, gave my dad an ultimatum: Either forget about being a pastor or find another bride! She was a smart woman, because my dad chose her and became a phenomenal teacher. Pastor material - I'm doubting his calling in that area!

Being raised by my mom was fun. She was dedicated to us (and he friends on the phone!) and loved doing crafts, like Shrinky Dinks, she loved taking us to the beach and even let us help her hang out the laundry! I know, it sounds sort of boring, but she created a world where life was fun, she taught us to make fun out of nothing (we had practically nothing - since my dad was a teacher in CT and she stayed home!) and how to appreciate all that we had. She instilled in us a love for God, forced us to listen to Evie Turnquist every Sunday morning (John Denver during the week!) and read Bible stories to us all the time. She taught Sunday school, Pioneer Girls and supported my dad in all he did - except for that wrestling he always watched!

I am so thankful that I still have my mom around. I don't ever want her to be alone and she reminds me that she is never alone, because God is always with her. I still wish I could live closer, of course, then we'd spend all our time together and never get anything done!! She really is my best friend and I hope she has another wonderful year for us all to enjoy!

Happy Birthday, Mommy!
I Love You!

(Picture - that's my mom and me at Johnny Rockets in LA, taken by Em)