A Very Merry Un-Birthday to Me! What? You Mean This Post Isn't About Me?

Today is my Mom's birthday. I know we've had a lot of birthdays in the last month. By now you might even suspect that I'm making this stuff up, but I swear to you that my mom is definitely a year older today. Fifty years old actually. I wonder if she'll disown me for outing her age on the Internet. I'm not taking it down. I'm a grown-up now? You can't make me?
All right, so growing up, my Mom's birthday was treated like a National Holiday in our home, you know, minus the inconvenience of the banks and post offices being closed. If you don't believe, me this snippet by Birdie on my Mom's facebook page will back me up.
"Happy birthday! It's a national holiday...Well it should be." -Birdie
The days leading up to my Mom's birthday held almost as much suspense as the days leading up to Christmas. This was most likely because she would tell everyone that her birthday was coming, and it really did feel like something big was going to happen. Then we'd eat cake. There might have been fireworks. I might have made that last part up.
This year for my Mom's birthday, she started inviting people to her 50th birthday bash before any such bash was being planned. My Dad then decided that if she wanted a party, then a party she would get because letting my mom down is an epic fail in my Dad's book. (Yeah, he writes too. A lot of poetry. Quite good really...I digress.)
So my Dad asks me to help with the party, and I agree because, um, she's my Mom. Then he makes the guest list. I don't know if the man was drinking (I love you, Dad) when he made the list, but I think he invited every person my mother has ever met. One hundred fifty people.
The truth is I can throw a fine party for like 30 people but 150 puts me in way over my head. Thank God, Homegirl offered to help.
Today I sent her an e-mail thanking her for stepping up and helping. This is the response I got: "BTW, you don't have to thank me, I would do anything for your mom...." While the meaning of this line could be misconstrued to mean that she would kill for my mom, I'm sure Homegirl's meaning was purely non-homicidal. And her words do echo the sentiment of most people who have met my mom.
My mom has always treated people with respect, honesty and love and in turn people love and respect her. She opens her heart and takes in vagabonds off the street. I really think that when Rich Mullins penned the words, "It's the love of Jesus putting on flesh and bone," he could have been talking about my mom. She's proof that honorable women walk among us wearing tie-dye and Keen shoes, and I feel so incredibly privileged to be her kid.
Happy Birthday, Mom. I love you.
Now give the woman some love in the comment section. Do it...please.