Some reasons why my mom is great:

1) She let me get my ears pierced when I was in 5th grade. Meanwhile, my older sister had to wait until she was 16. No joke.

2) She taught me at a young age that you could indeed have a career and a family.

3) Although I’m sure she would have preferred that we go to college closer to home (Connecticut), she let us go where we wanted. As a result one kid went to California, one to Pittsburgh, and me to Chicago. I’m a better person because of it.

4) She herself has lived in a different continent than her mother for most of her life. Makes me understand more the importance of the time you do have to spend together. At the same time, she didn’t get too upset at me for insisting that we leave at least one state (Oregon) between us, for sanity’s sake. She may still move, though.

5) She loves her children, but she REALLY loves her grandkids. And they love her right back.

Love ya, Mom!