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Happy birthday, Mom!
Thursday, May 6, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller * My mom’s birthday is today. She’s had a pretty rough couple of months since my dad’s stroke and I feel bad that I cannot be there with her on her special day. My mom almost always worked while we were growing up. She was a social worker, then a school teacher, then was employed by the Department of Defense and had a high security clearance. She is the reason we were able to live in Europe. Mom’s a brilliant person. Her IQ dwarfs mine and pretty much everyone else I know. She graduated from college in three years and finished second in her class, all with two babies at home and one more on the way. Yet, for all that, she has been the best mom anyone could ever ask for and we never wanted for attention. When she was with the DoD, she often had to work late, but would regularly come home at lunch and make us a pie and get dinner ready so that when we got home from school we’d have something to eat. She loves crafts, and we spent countless hours being entertained with her projects for us. She was a committed teacher and instilled a curiosity about the world into her children. We mostly flew through school because of her work with us. Mom taught all of her five sons to cook, sew, do laundry and generally take care of ourselves. She has always been a feminist without the dogma. Women should work hard and then naturally expect to get ahead just like men. And men needed to step up and take responsibility at home. End of story. She took a lot of flak from the far too prevalent insensitive old boy clods in the military, but she kept plugging away and retired at a high rank. Mom has a great sense of humor, even though she can’t tell a joke to save her life. She dotes on her grandchildren, she worries over her sons, she spoils her husband (rotten, at times) and she has welcomed all of her daughters-in-law into the family with open arms. My wife calls her “Mom” for a reason. She’s just as much a mother to Wasan as my wife’s own mom. That means more to Wasan and myself than you could imagine. We were all exchanging birthday greetings via e-mail today and Mom responded…
A very wise and wonderful woman, don’t you think?
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- Knome Sane - Thursday, May 6, 10 @ 10:48 am:
Rich,
As the father of a little girl who will be the first woman president, I see your Mom’s accomplishments and I know my daughter can do anything she puts her mind to! Best of Birthday wished to your Mom!
- Knome Sane - Thursday, May 6, 10 @ 10:49 am:
of course I meant to write “birthday wishes”….
- Linus - Thursday, May 6, 10 @ 10:49 am:
Happy birthday, Rich’s mom!
- wordslinger - Thursday, May 6, 10 @ 10:53 am:
Five boys and a husband? Lady, you must be a saint.
- Kevin Fanning - Thursday, May 6, 10 @ 10:58 am:
Haha, that was awesome. Happy Birthday Mrs. Miller.
- 47th Ward - Thursday, May 6, 10 @ 11:04 am:
===I hope that the idiots in Springfield can pass a budget that will get our State out of a shameful financial mess.===
Amen.
- Loop Lady - Thursday, May 6, 10 @ 11:04 am:
All those men in the house…lotsa smelly socks!
Your Mom sounds like a wise and wonderful woman.
No one loves you like your Mom!
- Steve Brown - Thursday, May 6, 10 @ 11:06 am:
Rich:
A wonderful segment and great reflections from a wonderful lady. Made me miss the two Moms in my life a little too
Happy Bday Mrs. M.!
- dupage dan - Thursday, May 6, 10 @ 11:09 am:
I think there is no better complement and indication of how wonderful your mother is than that your wife calls her mom. That is special.
Happy Birthday Ms CapFaxBlogMom!
- Downers Delight - Thursday, May 6, 10 @ 11:18 am:
Rich, very touching. Like someone else said, your post made me miss my mom too. Gonna give her a call tonight.
Happy B-day Mrs. M!
- Dead Head - Thursday, May 6, 10 @ 11:23 am:
Happy birthday Mrs. Miller! We’ve met before, at one of Rich’s weddings. I can’t remember which one, but Rich could probably tell you. He can also tell you who I am.
- Small Town Liberal - Thursday, May 6, 10 @ 11:25 am:
Happy Birthday Mrs. Miller!
Ever think about running for the GA?
- Rich Miller - Thursday, May 6, 10 @ 11:26 am:
STL, let’s not give her any ideas, OK? lol
- Small Town Liberal - Thursday, May 6, 10 @ 11:27 am:
Hey, she sounds like she might actually be able to get some things done, she’d have my vote if I lived in her district.
- Levois - Thursday, May 6, 10 @ 11:33 am:
When I read my 60s I would hope to have your mother’s optimism. Happy birthday!
- Amalia - Thursday, May 6, 10 @ 11:39 am:
happy birthday to your mom, and thanks Rich for such a nice post on her. she’s awesome!
- RobRoy - Thursday, May 6, 10 @ 11:49 am:
Most excellent dude! With her birthday so close to Mother’s day, I hope she gets the full treatment both days….: )
- VanillaMan - Thursday, May 6, 10 @ 11:56 am:
She sounds brilliant!
A very happy birthday to an ageless lady!
- Marta - Thursday, May 6, 10 @ 11:56 am:
Rich-
Yes, your mom is an absolutely wonderful and amazing woman
In particular her statement of: “remembering material goods are not the only measure of success. Keep in mind if you have everything you always wanted, there would be no more need to dream. ”
MP
- A.B, - Thursday, May 6, 10 @ 11:56 am:
Happy Birthday Ms. Miller!
- Intersted Observer - Thursday, May 6, 10 @ 12:21 pm:
Happy Birthday, Mrs. Miller! We May babies have to stick together. Rich, your Mom is truely a jewel and like many others who have posted, I miss mine as well.
- girllawyer - Thursday, May 6, 10 @ 12:33 pm:
Happy Birthday Mrs. Miller. What an amazing example you have set. Does it occur to anyone else that Mrs. M. just today has reached the age at when, if a state employee hired as of next year, she would finally be old enough to retire with full benefits? In that context, that just doesn’t seem right.
- What's in a name? - Thursday, May 6, 10 @ 12:34 pm:
Gee Rich your mom sounds great. She must worry to no end about the quality of people you hang around with. I suppose its better than covering City Hall.
- God's Country - Thursday, May 6, 10 @ 12:35 pm:
That was very nice. Thanks for sharing, Rich, and an awesomely blessed birthday to your mom.
- Gathersno - Thursday, May 6, 10 @ 12:50 pm:
You and I were blessed with having wonderful mothers. So many of my contemporaries complain about what a burden their mothers are. I was always proud to bring my friends home to meet my mother because she was so warm and friendly to them. She died after losing two husbands,both parents and her siblings but never lost her sense of humor or warmth.
- Team Sleep - Thursday, May 6, 10 @ 12:51 pm:
Rich, thanks for posting. Other than my wife and son, my two favorite people on this earth are my mom and my grandma. Now that I’m a parent, I realize why my mom’s hair went gray so early and why my grandma’s hair also went gray so early. Words or a $3 card can never express to mom on her birthday or Mother’s Day just how much she means to us and how much we love her.
- The REAL Anonymous fka Anonymous - Thursday, May 6, 10 @ 12:52 pm:
Happiest of Birthdays, Mrs. Miller! What a wonderful, wonderful family you’ve raised!
- Anonymous ZZZ - Thursday, May 6, 10 @ 1:15 pm:
Rich, I see where you get your gift for words - your mom is a very eloquent woman. I agree with the poster who said that she should get the full treatment on both her birthday and Mother’s Day. None of those “two-fer” celebrations that combine two occasions into one (like those people whose birthdays fall on Christmas).
She sounds like an absolute gem. Happy Birthday, Mrs. Miller, and best wishes to your husband for continued progress in his recovery.
- Matt Penning - Thursday, May 6, 10 @ 1:19 pm:
Happy Birthday to you, Mrs. Miller (aka Rich’s Mom)!
May every wish of yours be fulfilled in your lifetime, and may that life be a long and happy one.
- Ann - Thursday, May 6, 10 @ 1:27 pm:
What a wonderful tribute to a wonderful woman. Thank you for sharing her with us.
- littleone - Thursday, May 6, 10 @ 1:36 pm:
What an absolutely wonderful woman! Have a happy birthday & Mother’s Day, Mrs. Miller!
- Mom - Thursday, May 6, 10 @ 2:55 pm:
Thanks Rich for your beautiful bouquet of words!!! And thanks to your readers for their best wishes and comments. I appreciate them very much.
- Pat Collins - Thursday, May 6, 10 @ 2:55 pm:
“Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies”
Apparently Mr. Miller was able to do so!
A very happy birthday AND Mother’s day.
- D.P. Gumby - Thursday, May 6, 10 @ 5:07 pm:
How is it that Mothers are always so much wiser than their children? Mine is and yours, too, Rich. Happy Birthday and Mother’s Day to her and all Mothers. If only they ran the government!
- justfedup - Thursday, May 6, 10 @ 5:16 pm:
A wonderful woman, to be sure. Only 67? How young are you Rich?
- Retired - Thursday, May 6, 10 @ 6:29 pm:
Rich, don’t even think about not going to see your Mom on Sunday!
- Laura - Thursday, May 6, 10 @ 8:01 pm:
Happy Birthday, Mrs. Miller! Rich, thanks for sharing such a lovely birthday tribute about your Mom with us and her poignant response. Yes, she definitely does sound wise and wonderful!
- Shannon - Thursday, May 6, 10 @ 9:08 pm:
As one of the daughter-in-laws, I have to express my gratitude to the orginal Mrs. Miller for one of the sons, that eventually become my husband (Douglas). She and Mr. Miller raised 5 wonderful boys that became 5 wonderful men. I have been blessed with the best in-laws. It’s the birthdays and the mother’s days, that make us recognize them with Hallmark Cards…however, it will never be enough…they can’t design a card…they can’t write a song about Mrs. Miller. She is the saint, that someone mentioned above…she is the smartest person I have met…she is the best Grandma I could of asked for our children…she is…my mother-in-law!!!
Happy Birthday, Mrs. Miller from Mrs. Miller
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 6, 10 @ 10:59 pm:
Rich’s Mom,
Bless you, Happy Birthday