Today is my Mom's 71st birthday. She is the one on the left in this picture. My Aunt Peg (now deceased is on the right and the baby belongs to her daughter, I think) Mom says she never thought she would still be here, but of course, I am glad she is.

Mom is pretty special to me as all Moms should be. I don't think some of us realize what our mothers have done for us and how much they love us.

I know that my Mom loved me when I didn't love myself. She took good care of me when I was sick, tried to control me when I being a typical juvenile, and always loved me unconditionally.

Approximately 20 years ago, my Mom had a heart attack and had to have emergency bypass surgery. I have never been so terrified in my life. She had called me at work and said she needed me to come get her and take her to the doctor because she thought she was having a heart attack. I really don't think she totally believed that was what was wrong because she didn't want to go to the hospital, just to what I call a 'Doc n a box'. You know, the little 24 hour corner doctors. I raced from work to her home, picked her up and barreled my way back through traffic, and through red lights and past stop signs to take her there. It was a total of 8 minutes from the time I left work till we got to the doctor's office.

Well, this particular doctor was a very good one. He gave her nitro to see if it subsided the pain, which it did. Therefore, he sent her to the hospital by ambulance immediately.

They checked her out for a couple of days and then on the 3rd day of the hospital visit, she crashed and went into complete respiratory and cardiac arrest. That's when the emergency surgery happened. To make a long story shorter.....She came through the surgery just fine, after we thought we would definitely loose her, and she and I have repaired a lot of the hurt and disappointment that happened before that. I am happy to have my Mom still in my life today.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! I hope your day was nice.