She's a Good Mother

She's a good mother. She raised all of us kids by herself. She it's been hard on her over the years but even though there was a mob of us, she did a good job. There was a lot to do and it was tough, but she made sure there was enough for everybody. She never hesitated to give of herself to make sure we would be okay and had the resources we needed. She was there for us as we learned and grew and made a life for ourselves. She deserves our love and respect. Not every mother would have been there for us like she has. And she has done it without pause or question, without any desire for recognition or glory. I love her. She's been a good mother.

I wasn't always the best son. I tried to be good but I've made mistakes. Though I learned from them, I know I hurt her along the way. When any on us did something wrong, we had to pay for it. There's no question we've been punished for bad behavior. But sometimes we had to learn things the hard way. Sometimes we all have to. Hopefully we're better people for what we've learned. It's sad to see how slowly we learn right from wrong, but that's the way it is.

She still gives us second chances. She gives us the chance to learn from our mistakes, but I worry that sometimes it hurts her irreparably when we fail. Ultimately each of us has to remember that we are not only responsible for ourselves but also for each other. It's tough on her, but she has let us make our own choices. Then we have to live with the consequences.

She's getting older. I remember when I was a kid I thought she was so old. Now I've lived long enough that it seems funny to me that I ever thought of her that way. Because it's not important how old she is. It doesn't really matter. She's been there for us every day no matter what. The only things that matter to her are how healthy and happy we are and how much she loves us. So I think the only thing that should matter to us is that she know how much we all love her. I know I haven't told her enough. And more than that I haven't shown her enough.

I'm going to change that. If fact, we're all going to change that. We're going to throw a party for her. I wish we could surprise her. Even if it isn't a surprise, it'll be a thrill for her and she'll get a big kick out of it.

We're throwing a party for Mom. It's about time, huh? Finally we can show how much we love her and how much we appreciate everything she's given us. There's a bunch of us working on it. We're trying to tell everybody we can about it. We want to let people know that anyone and everyone is welcome to come. But we need help to get as many people as we can to come.

Some of us can't be there. Some are too busy or have other things they have to do. Some have to work and can't miss the day's pay so they can't afford to come. Worse than that some won't come because they just don't care. I can't bare that. It breaks my heart. I try not to be frustrated by it, but I don't know how. I think it hurts her more than anything to know that some of us just don't care. Because when you think about it, the party's not about her, it's about us. It's about all of us being a family. It's about us working together, loving each other, making the world a better place and getting together to celebrate that. She must feel good when we get it right. It makes me feel good just to try.

If you want to come, you're welcome. We'd love to have you join us. The banners are going up now. There will be food and music. We'll be eating and drinking, singing and dancing. Folks from all over will be having a great time. You should join us. Bring a friend or two if you want. It's okay. In fact it's a great idea. The more the merrier. It doesn't matter who you are or where you're from, this is a day for us to be together and have fun. We can catch up or what everybody's been up to and swap stories all day and night. It'll be great to see each other again. Sometimes that's the best part of the day.

The coolest thing is the new people you meet at something like this. Last time we all got together I met a couple of guys who were a blast. After I got to know them at the party I helped them build a straw bale house they were working on. It's amazing the new friends you make and the old friends you get re-connect with. But that's the way these things go, isn't it? When you get together with everybody there's always something going on. It's so cool. I can hardly wait.

If you want to come, we'd love to have you. Don't think for a second that you're not invited or not welcome. And trust me you'll have a good time whether you bring a bunch of friends or come by yourself and meet some new people. They'll be a big crowd so it ought to be a blast.

Finding the party is easy. We'll have signs up that you can follow all the way there. Just watch for them and come join us. With all the people there you'll probably hear or see us before you even get there. It's so cool when everybody's having a good time. If you want to come follow the signs that look like this.

See you there.