St. Patrick's Day is special in my family because it's my mom's birthday.  Happy birthday, Mom!  I talked to her for a while this morning about everything from the Curves diet to potty training to how getting a cranial adjustment can prevent and correct orthodontic problems.  My mom is a "really neat lady," as Grandpa Stringham (her dad) likes to remind me.  Actually, everyone who knows her reminds me about how neat she is.  When I was a teenager that bugged me a little bit ("of course she's neat, she's my mom"), but now I just feel proud and honored to be part of her family. 

One of Mom's more obvious virtues is how impressively smart she is.  Of course, she's humble too, and gets a little embarrassed when anyone mentions how she's so smart and she starts saying how she's met smarter people than her and how she still has to work really hard at school and stuff.  Trust me, she's smart.  She knows a lot about a lot of things and she is committed to helping people by using what she knows, which I guess is part of why she's going to be a doctor.  She only has a year to go of Med School, then she'll have her D.O.  Yay Mom! 

Another reason she's going to be a doctor is that she's one of those people whose very presence makes you feel better.  She's simply a healing kind of person.  She likes to take care of people and help them make good choices about their health.  A good kind of person to have as your mom, no?  So, if any of you reading this go to Dr. Becky Bushman, you're in good hands.

My mom is musically talented, too.  She has a great alto voice–lots of people have told me so besides me just knowing it from hearing her.  She plays the cello (she went to college on a cello scholarship, even) and the piano.  I took piano lessons from her and know first-hand how patient she is, even though I quit out of my own competitive issues with my sister. 

Mom's a good listener.  I remember coming home from school every day and her being there to listen (even with interest!) to every minute detail of what happened to me that day.  The one year she wasn't around after school because of work my life pretty much seemed like it was collapsing, so it really means a lot to me that she made the conscious choice to be around for me and my siblings.   

Mom is a totally spiritual person, and I'm especially grateful for what she taught me about God, Jesus, and religion.  She turns to God for answers when she's having trouble and she knows that he will help her.  She says her prayers and reads her scriptures.  She goes to church and gives service through her callings and other ways, too.  She has faith that if you're trying to do what's right and you have a good relationship with Heavenly Father that things will always work out in the end.  Because of her (and my dad, of course), these things were relatively easy for me to learn and do in my own life.

The best thing about my mom is that she loves me.  She calls me when she's on the road, or during her lunchtime, just to check in and see how I'm doing.  She does extra homework to find out ways to help me and my kids and husband (and even my neighbors and their families!) feel better when we're sick.  She doesn't mind that I'm silly or grumpy or even a little mean or crazy sometimes and she believes that I'll get over it sooner or later.  I've overheard her saying "I don't think any of my kids are really brilliant," be she treats us like she thinks we are.  She just always believed I was a good kid, so I expected myself to be one, too. 

I love you, Mom!  Thank you!  And thanks to Grandma and Grandpa for having you and making St. Patrick's Day extra special.