Man On The Inside

Hartelijk Gefeliciteerd, is Happy Birthday in Dutch, and 62 years ago today my mother was born in the Netherlands.

I wanted to take the chance here to wish her a happy birthday.  God blessed me the day he sent me to her.  She has loved me, and cared for me unselfeshly for every single day of my life.  I have to agree with Honest Abe who said, “Everything I am today I owe to my angel mother.”

There are lots of young men who feel a special connection to their moms, but life’s circumstance have definelty made our relationship unique and priceless.

When I broke my neck in the summer of 1986, she stayed by my side, in the hospital nearly every day.  She championed my cause then, and still does today.  I comb my own hair, brush my own teeth, write on my own and feed myself all because of her encouragement.  Afetr my accident, I attended High School with my friends because she was willing to lift me 16 times a day.  She never worried about the detriment she was causeing her back, only the progress she was bringing my life.

She pushed me when it probably killed her to, but it’s what’s allowed me to be independent today. (You can read about one example here)

Now, as I watch her with Coleman, she is the consumate Grandma.  She loves him more unconditionally.  After he was born, as I came out to tell everyone in the waiting room that all had gone well, my eyes met hers, she ran to me and we cried together.  She was one of the few people that could understand the road it took from July 13, 1986 to January, 27, 2009.

I love her with all my heart.  I love that she loves Kolette like a daughter.  I love that she loves Cole as a son.  I love the way she always loved my friends (ask any of them, they’ll all tell you how great she is.) I love that she’s always been my friend. And I love that a loving Heavenly Father saw fit to send me to her. Whatever good ever comes from my life is as a result of her tender care.

So today, Hartelijk Gefeliciteerd, Mom!

I Love You

Jh-