Happy Birthday, Mom!

Spike, today is your grandmother's birthday. Let me tell you some things that I love about your Poppy:

• First of all, she's called Poppy, in honor of her favorite grandfather ("Pop") and the poppy flower. You've gotta love a woman called Poppy!
• Her loyalty is VERY fierce. She is one of the most giving people on the planet. But if you cross her or her kids, watch out. She will NOT take that lightly. (I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when she had a few minutes alone with my ex-husband after he announced he was leaving.)
• Her strength has been tested many, many times, and she goes through adversity with lots of grace. That's very hard to do. I'm not saying she doesn't feel her feelings--she definitely does--but she is able to crawl out from under the wreckage and ultimately survive.
• Throughout my life, no matter how many awful choices I've made and no matter how many "why did you do that?" lectures she's had to give me, I always, ALWAYS knew that she loved me, no matter what. And more often that not, she was right--although I didn't always admit that to her. :-)
• She is constantly evolving as a person. Over the years, her political and social views have changed, and even though we don't always agree on them, I have the highest respect for her for being willing to change.
• She finds her own happiness. After her divorce, she spent a life-changing month in Italy that inspired her to write a book. She doesn't wait around for happiness--she seeks it.
• She is an incredible daughter, looking after her 92-year-old mother and making sure that her life is beautiful and dignified even though she is housebound and physically weak.
• She is a devoted grandmother. My niece Miriam has benefited from the close relationship they share. (And Spike, you might not know it yet, but Poppy adores you too and can't wait to meet you in person!)
• She is truthful. Whether I like it or not, I can be assured that whatever she tells me is the truth.
• I can honestly say that my mother, your Poppy, is one of my very best friends. And that's a really, really big deal. We are truly blessed to have her in our lives.

Happy Birthday, Mom! (And Happy Birthday from Spike, too.)