Happy 80th Birthday, Mom!

My wonderful mother celebrates her eightieth birthday today! Happy Birthday, Mom!

She started celebrating on Sunday when my brothers and I threw her a surprise birthday party attended by nearly 100 of her friends. She was truly surprised and deeply pleased. She said, “I didn’t know I had this many friends!” The joy on her face was worth every minute we spent planning and preparing.

It was an honor to have so many of her friends come to the party. I was delighted by all the calls and emails I received from people telling me how much they love and appreciate my mom. I was so glad we seized the moment and got my mom’s friends together to celebrate her now, rather than later when she won’t be there to enjoy being the center of attention.

My mom means the world to me. I’m so glad I could be a part of letting her know how much she means to others too. She will cherish her memories of this day, and they will bring her joy every time she remembers this party.

(It’s also nice to know that we can pull off such a surprise–though she’ll probably be a lot more suspicious of the three of us kids from now on out!)