65 Reasons to Love a Mom 12/16/2007

For my mom's 65th birthday, my sister Wendi came up with the idea to document 65 reasons why we love her and then share them with her somehow.  I collected ideas from sisters and nieces and nephews until we had plenty, writing them all in my journal.  Then we created a tiny book with one beautiful reason on each of its pages.  I added some very primitive artwork and we presented it to her.  I think she liked it.  Here are the 65 that made the cut...in no special order:

1. for teaching me the art of tree decorating at Christmas
2. for instilling in me a love for music and art and poetry
3. for saving every silly card I ever wrote you and every corny school project I ever brought home
4. for providing juice to my little peanut his first several years on all those mornings I couldn't get up
5. for showing us how to be a family
6. for the best advice you ever gave me: "Marry your best friend."
7. for protecting me from myself but still giving me room to learn and grow
8. for backing Grandma Diggins down the stairs when she picked on us
9. for driving me everywhere even when I didn't even have an address
10. for never picking favorites
11. for playing with me at every age
12. for interpreting poetry for me when I was in college
13. for being the best example of unconditional love...over and over again
14. for getting on me to do my homework and for letting me figure it out myself
15. for being so so so patient
16. for teaching me chopsticks on the piano and playing it with me whenever I asked
17. for hot chocolate after winter fun
18. for being a traveler and taking us with whenever you could
19. for bringing us something cooler than a crappy t-shirt when you couldn't take us with
20. for donuts...even if we didn't go to church
21. for teaching me to shuffle cards
22. for instilling in me a love for words and language
23. for the most awesome birthday parties
24. for singing to us and teaching us a million silly songs
25. for reading to us and writing about us
26. for the food...oh the food...the dinners and lunches and desserts and breakfasts and snacks...all delicious...all magnificent (except the cube steak)
27. for giving us the most awesome sister-friends we could ever hope for!
28. for always forgiving me
29. for nurturing my stubborn independence
30. for coming up with the best Halloween costumes at the last minute...every year
31. for showing me what brave looks like
32. for tickling my arms and back
33. for seeing our highest potential
34. for asking just the right questions so I can find my own answers
35. for instilling in me a desire to make the world a better place
36. because every time I think I might finally catch up to her wisdom, I realize upon our next conversation there's still a long way to go
37. for love that can outlast any storm emotional or otherwise
38. for having a soul that's still as sweet as a child's
39. for the way her face lights up when there's a baby around
40. for having such grand integrity, we can no longer get away with all the stuff we used to because your voice comes in loud and clear.
41. for tenderness that could melt an iceberg
42. for pretty much raising me my first quarter of life and I'm very grateful for the time and energy she's put in to taking care of her whole familycuz she's real good for huggin'
43. for smelling my neck and checking if I cleaned behind my ears after I took a bath
44. because I'm her first grandson
45. for smelling good
46. for being the only one allowed to get my "nick-neck"
47. for never letting us go hungry when mom's busy
48. for being our 2nd mom
49. for snuggling our sadness away
50. for knowing where to take us to create the best memories: beach (tubing), Lemon Lake, Crane Orchards, Nutcracker Ballet, Museum of Science & Industry, Saugatuck...
51. for fixing my hair..."sit still!"
52. for making sure my outfit was just right and if it had a bow, it was tied perfectly
53. for making sure I didn't scuff up my shoes
54. for tomato soup & grilled cheese and cookies after school
55. for all kinds of cheese...you were always on the cutting edge of popular cheeses and you brought us with you
56. for making me feel loved...as if I was your only child and for my knowing my sisters felt the same way
57. for telling me when I was in the 3rd grade that if anyone ever does anything mean to me to run home - "where ever you are, just run home." I still have that sense of security
58. for hanging a congratulations sign on the front door when you knew I was accepted into the Dental Hygiene Program...for celebrating all my accomplishments
59. for teaching me proper dress for interviews and traveling and shopping and mowing lawns and driving a convertible...
60. for teaching me that a lady makes very little noise when she walks
61. for helping me to understand that a beautiful woman is a confident woman and that a smile looks better than a frown
62. for teaching us manners and etiquette in such a way that I always look forward to an event  where I can be my most proper and civilized self
63. for showing me that some sticks and some old string can look like a beautiful decoration with historical significance
64. for getting excited whenever I drop by unannounced
65. for all the stories and for the beautiful way you tell them...about Mimi, about us growing up, about the Beachway, about friends, about acts of kindness, about funny things, about very funny things, and about unexpected things