Just A Simple Thank You

Today is my mom’s birthday.  She would have been 75.  Age is not important to me in this.  My mom was timeless. Ageless. Priceless.
When she was alive, we would go out for her birthday.  She didn’t want attention on her for this day.  It was about the family getting together, that was her present.
After my mom passed, I sat there with her, for about 10 minutes and I had so much to say, yet nothing was coming out.  I wanted to thank her for making me a man.  I wanted to thank her for teaching me how to throw a baseball.  I wanted to thank her for always busting ass to leave work to get me to practice on time.  And then, stay for the entire thing.  I wanted to thank her for teaching me how to tie a tie.  I wanted to thank her for taking me to buy cleats for football, not knowing she had to borrow money so I would not have to wear the same one’s from last year.   I wanted to thank her for going up to the PA announcer at a football game, who kept announcing my name wrong on every tackle I made, to make sure he said my name correctly.  I wanted to thank her for telling me it was going to be OK after my daughter was born and I told her I had no clue what to I was supposed to do.
Mostly, I wanted to thank her for never giving up on me, always loving me, and teaching me how to fight and never back down.
Yet, all I could keep saying to her was, thank you, thank you, thank you.
A friend sent this to me the day my mom passed:  ‘ “Si Monumentum vis videre suus, Circumspice” was an epitaph widely used throughout Ancient Rome to honor those of significant standing and mighty works; it means “If you seek his (or her) monument, look around you.”
I never met Miss Margie but I know that she is singularly responsible for molding you into the incomparable, well-loved and well-respected PRESENCE that you truly are, Joe. And that speaks volumes to me about her.
Her presence lives on through the sparkle in your eyes. That’s her epitaph: “Si quæsieritis me, respice in filium meum”–“If you seek me, look upon my son.”
God bless you and your family, Joe. You have my and Sherrye’s love and are in our prayers, bud.’
So today, say thanks to that one person who molded you, shaped you and loved you.
I never told my mom thanks while she was alive,  Sure, I might have at some point, but I don’t remember.
Don’t wait til it is too late my friends.
Just a simple, thank you, would work.

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