Please bear with me as I depart from my usual topics to wish my mother a very Happy Birthday!

Photo by Katie Cullinan

Yesterday was a significant birthday for my Mom (I’ll do the gracious thing here, and not mention which one), and we celebrated in style. I sprung for some whole lobsters, along with salt potatoes, local corn on the cob, and rolls. It reminds me of clambakes we used to have every summer, with the lobsters sitting in for the clams this time.

It was yummy. More importantly, we were all together. My Mom and Dad made the four hour trip to my house in the morning, and my brother surprised us by driving down from Massachusetts.

For every birthday, Christmas, and Mother’s Day, all my Mom has ever asked for is “good kids.” That has been extended to “good kids and grandkids.” As you can imagine, that is very difficult to shop for (and potentially hard to deliver when you are a child).

I watched my Mom survey the many pots of cooking food, warm conversation, and her family all around her. And she got a little teary. At that moment, I realized that it wasn’t “good kids” she really wanted. What really makes her happy is being with her family. Silliness, chaos, weirdness and all. For this birthday, we were able to deliver.

Happy Birthday, Mom. We love you very much. Best wishes for many more healthy, happy birthdays!