Happy Mother's Day

I've been meaning to write about my mother on here for awhile now. First was when my mother brought out an old picture of her when she was about 6 months old that looked just like Allie, right down to the one piece of hair curling on the top of her head. I was going to side by side pictures to compare the two of them. Then again last summer I was going to post about her when she finished her round of radiation back then. She had gotten a certificate and we gave her a card and some flowers to celebrate the occasion. The next big event that I thought about making a post was Race for the Cure, and it was then that I knew that I was accumulating multiple posts now and needed to do something special. We also happened to celebrate her birthday that same night, and so I'm sure at some point that she has begun to wonder what happened to those posts. Especially when you see below that we had a picture made with the Honorary Chairman and Memphis basketball coach, Josh Pastner, which is of course something I wouldn't pass up posting. We also had a good picture of her, Drew, and me at the birthday dinner that night. I think the next two pictures I have put on here before, but they fit in well with the timeline as the first one is around Christmas and the next one is Allie's birthday. The last two are from Easter, which I also haven't gotten around to posting about yet, but mainly because I have a ton of pictures to edit. Anyways, all that to say that this post is way overdue.

I could certainly post these pictures and say Happy Mother's Day and tell my Mother that I love her. But I also feel obligated to let everyone know what a wonderfully strong and loving Mother that she is also. I have always had a special relationship with my mother, as many sons do with their mommas. She always made my lunch with little notes in the bag, came to all my ballgames, and always supported me in everything. This was only strengthened when I was 18 years old and going through cancer. My mom stopped working, literally stopped what she was doing, to take care of me. She was there for me throughout my entire illness, even becoming my own nurse as she had to give me shots to help with blood counts. And if I thought I was tough when going through treatments, I never knew what toughness was. Any toughness that I had obviously came from my mother. She has been the epitome of toughness and resiliency as she has gone through now more chemotherapy and radiation these last months. You would never know that she was going through anything, as she never lets anything knock her down. She has been so strong and it's just incredible to see her keep moving along like she does. I'm so proud of her and all that she has been through and that she just keeps fighting and winning at every step. She is truly an inspiration. And as tough as she is against cancer, she is still just as kind and loving as always.

My mother has shaped me in many ways and we are alike in many ways. I appreciate the values, traditions, characteristics, ideals, and love that she instilled in me as I was growing up and that she continues to exemplify to this day. There are so many things that she has exposed me to and taught me that I enjoy and love that come directly from her. Perhaps one of our favorite things to enjoy together is Tiger athletics. I can remember being a young boy and watching Tiger basketball with her in our living room while she was yelling at the TV. I think it is only fitting that we will spending Mother's Day this year at the basketball home of the Tigers, the FedEx Forum, cheering on Memphis' other home town basketball team, the Grizzlies, in what will hopefully be one of the best sporting events in the city's history. I hope she agrees. I love you, Mom. Happy Mother's Day!

I also want to thank the wonderful mother to my children, Katie. It's amazing how much she loves our children and how much she does to take care of them. It's so much fun watching her love and enjoy them so much. Thank you for all that you do and Happy Mother's Day.