Another year older

That's me 36 years ago today. I look at little worse for wear after my entry into this world, but my momma is positively glowing. The love she had for me is written all over her face.

Momma always made a big deal on my birthday of being the first person to wish me a happy birthday. Even after I moved out of her house into my own, she always made a point of being the first person to call me on my special day.

I miss those calls. Momma has been gone from this earth almost three years. My birthdays since her passing have been great, but there's always been something missing.

Even though she's gone, I know she was, and still is, very proud of me. Momma had her shortcomings, but I can say she worked very hard to make sure I followed a different path than she had in her life. She was determined I not make the same mistakes in my life that she'd made in hers. I think she, and I, did a great job.

I have to say that in my 36 years I've accomplished a lot of the goals I set for myself: I graduated both high school and college, which is a phenomenal feat in my family considering most of its members barely finished junior high school; I married the man of my dreams; I had two amazing children; and I got to write and get paid for doing so,

There are, for sure, many more goals I hope to accomplish, but it's nice to be able to take a moment today on the anniversary of my birth to ponder all the wonderful things I've already done in, what I consider, my short life.