On any given day, my mind is inundated with a whirlwind of largely random thoughts that make absolutely no sense to anyone. My co-workers can attest to this fact. Worse than that, though, are the random questions that plague me from dawn until the moment my bleary eyes close at night. What did they call hemorrhoids before some unnamed doctor gave them a proper Latin name? Did Barry Manilow write Copacabana only to cause me constant torment? Will I ever learn that telling the Puddinette to relax or calm down is guaranteed to have the opposite effect, instantaneously? People sometimes go their whole lives sometimes without knowing their mother; what would my life be like if that was the case?

That last one is actually something chew on. There are few people that would argue the impact a mother has on their children, and those few haven’t got the sense God gave the common dog, as even puppies clearly recognize the importance a mom has in their life.

Almost every person worth his or her salt can readily point to many reasons how their mother nagged, touched, and shaped their lives. I have no doubt I could tap out 1000 words on the topic from my own life; the examples are almost infinite. How would I get by if no one had taught me the importance of brushing my teeth twice a day, or how to rotate my underwear drawer. How would I know that “Jesus hates liars” if Mom hadn’t been there to tell me? Would I be aware of the exception to the “liar” rule above, that at Christmas it’s acceptable to tell fibs to people about the gifts you might be getting them. Would I have learned, without her, that if you’re gonna do something you do it right, or you don’t do it at all, and that attempting something “half-ass” is most definitely frowned upon?

If not for my mother, would I know the wonder of “cowboy cookies”, or the sweet crunchy joy of the brown sugar glaze that covers oatmeal cake? Would I have learned to make cheesecake just hours before I said the words that made me someone’s husband? Without my mother, I doubt I would have learned the lessons necessary to truly take care of my wife, which is ironic, because together, they still take care of me.

Without my mother having touched my life, I wouldn’t be celebrating my 37th birthday 9 days hence, so I am glad that she is celebrating hers today. Happy Birthday, Mom, I wouldn’t be the same without you.

Drew