On this Mother’s Day, I’m sending a special shout out to Barbara Tharp.

My Mom.

When I sit down here in the Blogatorium to weave a vast web of wordsmithery in order to dazzle you with brilliance and baffle you with bull, I usually have the whole thing composed in my noggin.  The only thing I really have to do is transfer those thoughts to a digital medium, find some spiffy pictures to accent the post, and then publish it.

That’s not the case today.

I sat down here today knowing I had to say something about Mother’s Day, I just didn’t know what it was.

This year, Mother’s Day is completely different than it’s ever been before. 

There was a time that Mom would read every single piece of dribble I endeavored to publish out here on the worldwide web. 

Those times are gone now.

Mom has endured several challenges in the last year which have shown me the purpose for all of the training I’ve received in the last fifteen years.

Last year when Mom’s challenges became painfully evident, I put a plan in motion to ensure that her needs would be met and her issues addressed. 

Today, I will go to the nursing facility where Mom resides bearing a gift.  The jury is still out on whether I will take flowers, but rest assured, I will be armed with a pint of the finest mint chocolate chip ice cream the good people at Blue Bell have to offer.

I don’t know if she’ll remember that it’s her favorite, but that’s okay.

I’ll remember.