When I was a little kid, she would create specialized invitations for birthday parties she threw for me at a cozy little funspot called Germania Springs. Those gatherings were a hit every April with my elementary school buddies.

When I was a teenager, there she was at all of my games, videocamera in hand. And she cheered loudest for me, no matter if it was football, basketball or baseball season.

It made no difference that my moments of glory were far less frequent than my moments of mediocrity. To her, none of my teams would have had any success without me.

And after every game, she was the one I looked for to give a hug, win or lose.

Nowadays, my mom, Mary, and I don’t get to spend as much time together as either one of us would like. That’ll happen when you have busy lives and hundreds of miles separating you.

But she’s always been there for me.

When my future wife, Lee, and I bought our first house last year, it was done with a great deal of assistance from my mom. And many of the pieces of furniture I grew up with can be found throughout our home.

Like my dear grandmother, Mimi, who we lost just a couple of years ago, Mom always has been willing to be the butt of jokes between my sister and me. She plays along with a laugh and always has.

Unfortunately, there is only one Mother’s Day each year because I’d give her at least a week if I could.
I love you, Mom. Thank you for everything.