There are things you would like to tell a person but can't because there is no natural way to say it. There is never a conversation short of someone dying that allows for the kind of praise a person should get for the great things they have done for you.
So what do you do?
You send a card.
Create a special day for them.
You write a blog maybe.
This is what I can do. Tomorrow is a very special day. One that I have let pass by for so many years without the proper reverence it should have. Some might blame me or circumstances but neither of those is the purpose of this exercise. You see tomorrow is June 4.
Tomorrow is my mother's birthday.
I have reached a point in my life where the woman who is so special to my family deserves to know how much love and regard I have for her.
This feeling goes beyond even the very basic gratefulness for my life as a whole. It is deeper than that. We live in an age where accidental children and forgotten parenting are the subjects of reality television. No, truly my gratitude goes way beyond just existence. It's in how I was raised.
My mother and father always said that they did there absolute best to do right by my brother and me. They expressed humility by saying they think did an OK job but I can't imagine anyone doing better. Let me say aloud what I am sure they already know.
My brother and I are the spectacular beings we are because of them.
Not to dismiss my father in this now, because he is important too, but this day isn't for him. He will get his own another time. And I am sure he would agree with me when I say that she deserves it. She is after all his "favorite girl" as he posted in a letter to me once.
My mother has a grace about her and a strength that is unmatched in any person I have ever known. She is generous and kind to all those who touch her life for the shortest moment. She would shy from the public spotlight but if she had it in her to be seen in that light she would absolutely shine. Her art, her knowledge, her common sense, and her gift for not so much words as the right words in any given situation are almost magic to behold. I am in awe of her. And I want everyone who reads this to know and acknowledge that fact. I know she is going to get a lot of happy birthdays and have a great days, but i just want her know that I am not the only who thinks this about her. So leave your comments here or on the thread to the facebook thread that is created here. Tell her more than Happy Birthday. I give you the chance to tell this women who means so much to so many people exactly how wonderful she is.
Happy Birthday Barbara McClelland
I love you more than those words can possibly express.
You are more than just my mother, you are a shining example of everything I hope to be.
With deep and abiding affection,
Gabriel
