A toast for my mothers surprise 60th birthday party today.
I would like to make a toast, to my mother, the best any son could have.
To my oldest friend..... and I don't say that because shes been here for sixty years! I say it because for the last 34 years every time I needed a friend Im comforted knowing she is there for me, without fail.
And I'm so glad that today I can be here for her!
To celebrate her birth with her closest friends and family.
It seems..... as my mother has always joked, that unfortunately we were destined to be smart and beautiful instead of rich and successful. But what she may not have realized is that a long time ago she taught me my most valuable life lesson. I learned a new definition of "rich and successful". Seeing the wealth of love and friendships, recognizing success as the respect of my peers and the redeeming aspects of doing what I love to do, what i have to do. How to use the gifts given to me to make my way in the world. And to make the world a better place when I leave it, than when i came into it.
I've learned from my mother that honesty and respect for others is not only it's own reward, (because we all know it doesn't pay the bills) but is rewarded in kind with respect, trust and genuine friendships.. Like those I see in this room. I see it rewarded in the people who organized this event, planned every detail and invitation, who made it possible for me to be here because they knew how much that would mean to her and to me.
One last thing, a favorite story I love to share with people about my mother. When I was much younger, when money was tight and life was stressful, my mom and I would take a vacation. Our vacation spot, usually... was Newport creamery! Over an ice cream sundae we would sit and talk about life and all it's quirks, the blessing and the struggles. But we talked not as a twelve year old boy and his mother. But as the best of friends, helping each other work out our problems, or taking our minds off them,
I would often say as a child "thank you for giving birth to me mom" and all these years later I still feel the same gratitude.
Mom, you gave me this life and showed me how to live it, thank you, I love you.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
To my oldest friend..... and I don't say that because shes been here for sixty years! I say it because for the last 34 years every time I needed a friend Im comforted knowing she is there for me, without fail.
And I'm so glad that today I can be here for her!
To celebrate her birth with her closest friends and family.
It seems..... as my mother has always joked, that unfortunately we were destined to be smart and beautiful instead of rich and successful. But what she may not have realized is that a long time ago she taught me my most valuable life lesson. I learned a new definition of "rich and successful". Seeing the wealth of love and friendships, recognizing success as the respect of my peers and the redeeming aspects of doing what I love to do, what i have to do. How to use the gifts given to me to make my way in the world. And to make the world a better place when I leave it, than when i came into it.
I've learned from my mother that honesty and respect for others is not only it's own reward, (because we all know it doesn't pay the bills) but is rewarded in kind with respect, trust and genuine friendships.. Like those I see in this room. I see it rewarded in the people who organized this event, planned every detail and invitation, who made it possible for me to be here because they knew how much that would mean to her and to me.
One last thing, a favorite story I love to share with people about my mother. When I was much younger, when money was tight and life was stressful, my mom and I would take a vacation. Our vacation spot, usually... was Newport creamery! Over an ice cream sundae we would sit and talk about life and all it's quirks, the blessing and the struggles. But we talked not as a twelve year old boy and his mother. But as the best of friends, helping each other work out our problems, or taking our minds off them,
I would often say as a child "thank you for giving birth to me mom" and all these years later I still feel the same gratitude.
Mom, you gave me this life and showed me how to live it, thank you, I love you.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:A conchord bus headed south....
posted by Brad O'Brien at 10:17 AM
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