Happy Birthday Moms,
It seems like only seven short days ago that we were celebrating you. Weren’t we just doing this for Mother’s Day? And yet here we are again.
Daddy says that even before I graced you all with my presence, you used to extend your birthday celebrations into multi-day, and sometimes multi-week celebrations. I suppose it is only natural, then, that we have to give you your due not once, but twice in a one-week span.
And you know what else, mommy? You deserve it. Besides, your birthday allowed me to celebrate my very first crawfish boil, which daddy threw as a surprise for you. I will admit, I did not appreciate this:
But it wasn’t necessarily your fault since you had no clue that the crawfish boil was going down. In fact, daddy said you were a colossal pain in the ass to keep out of the house for the requisite period of time, but that due to his exceptional organizational skills and ability to think on his feet, he was able to keep you occupied, thus allowing the party to go off without a hitch. I’m not really sure what any of that means, but I sense that is part of what you refer to as daddy’s “jackassery.”
Anyway, I really loved my first crawfish boil, so I guess I should thank you for being born 30 years ago so that I could enjoy it. Other than the delicious crawfish, carmaraderie and the draft beer that flowed like wine, here were my three favorite things about your party:
1. This giant sign that Mr. Chris made:
I know that you have previously been mocked for this She-ra costume and your corrective leg braces here. But some things just bear repeating.
2. These souvenir cups:
I think Daddy may have grossly overestimated how many friends you both have by ordering 100 of these things, but I like them. I like the red color and the drawing of the crawfish. Many of the party attendees also kept on commenting about the “sexual innuendo.” I don’t know what that is, but it sounds kind of cool.
3. This painting by Hank Holland
Even though the painting is really neat, I think I like the story behind the artist better. Hank Holland has cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder that I will most likely be diagnosed with in the future. But beyond that, he is one of many examples of how someone with a disability can exhibit something called grace. Mr. Holland has had a very difficult life, and he should have every reason in the world to be filled with anger or hate. But he’s not. Instead, in his words, he discovered that “everything grows with love and with that comes hope, faith, courage, prayer, trust and grace.”
Those are all difficult concepts to define and are better understood by seeing them in action. I see them in action through Mr. Holland’s artwork. But I also see them in action in you, mommy. I’m looking forward to spending another 30+ years with you. Happy Birthday!
