happy wishes for momma bear...

peace

i remember when i was young my mom used to tell me to be nice to 'those kids'...you know,  the kids who seem to get ignored or teased for some reason.  there were always some kids who seemed to get picked on and no one wanted to sit with them at lunch or wanted them on their kick ball team... you remember 'those kids.' 

love

she also reminded me to say hello to the bus driver, thank the lunch lady and smile at the crossing guard.  yeah, i did all these things.  it was embarrassing at times...i mean, i would actually sneak an apple to the kid who no one would sit with...

happiness

admittedly, i had to say hi to the bus drivers because sometimes she would 'just know' if i didn't ... years later, when i least expected to run into anyone from my days of elementary, i bumped into a gal who was picked on relentlessly...even as a kid i remember how i would never want to be her.  the teasing was mean and she was targeted non-stop.  after asking me how i was, what i was up to, i knew who she was right away, she had grown to be a very pretty woman, but time had worn a bit on her.  she hugged me and thanked me for being so sweet to her all 'those years' when everyone else had been so mean. 

she shared that my 'hello' often made such a difference in many of her days. she would think of me as a friend.

in that moment, i thought of my mom and was never more thankful to her...she taught me one of the most important lessons i continue to learn.  give simply of yourself.  what a difference this has made. 

today my mom celebrates her 76th birthday and her wish is only that we all continue to share peace, love and happiness with one another... 

happy birthday mom!

life is the first gift, love is the second, and understanding the third.