Whenever I talk with someone about how  my personality formed, and who i am at my deepest core, I oftentimes find myself saying this statement: ” I consider myself to be the perfect combination of the personalities of my father and mother.” I then continue to talk about how from my mother I got the part of my personality that makes me want to go after things and push to be more. The part of me that weighs the odds, finds them to not  be in my favor, and keeps going anyway because I know the odds don’t matter. This is one of the most profound things that I have gleaned from my mom along with her sense of adventure, her compassion for humanity, her selfless nature (which I may still be working on ) and her determination. This blog is dedicated to you mom. Happy birthday! I am so glad you were born and that I was born to you so that I could learn from you and grow into the man I am today.

For anyone who does not know my mother she is summed up by the words Joy and love. She knows how to have fun and have a good time. She shows unconditional love and compassion to those around her and she is a joy to be around. I owe my entire self-image to my mom. From the time I was a child she taught me that I was valuable as a human being, that i was lovable, that it was OK to be smart, that i should strive for excellence in all that I do, that I should be honest, fearless and brave. That I should never be opposed to trying new things, that I should be grateful even in the small things, and that i should trust God to be my guidance. It is from her that the artist in me was born. Her love for poetry and the written word and her emphasis on making sure I was exposed to the humanities and cultural experiences helped spawn my own love for writing, music, acting and wordplay.

I would have never made it to LA without my mom’s assistance. She initially came along to help JT and I drive and to help set up when we made it into town. However, when my vehicle broke down in Texas I had to put most of the belongings that wouldn’t fit in my new car into a moving truck. Now, initially I ordered the smallest truck the company offered, but they only had one of the larger versions available when i went to pick it up. I wasn’t too confident about driving a big moving truck through the mountains and canyons of Arizona, New Mexico, and California…. driving the car I was in was bad enough since i wasn’t used to the terrain. Fortunately, my mom has a background as a professional driver from her military service and as a school bus driver. She drove that huge thing though the mountains and to my destination  and for that act alone I am forever indebted. Not to mentioned she scrubbed my apartment and organized my kitchen before going back home. I am tremendously grateful.

In my late teens I watched my mother battle with cancer. She went through a lot both physically, emotionally and spiritually, but I watched her remain strong when many people may have given up. I believe it was her faith that gave her the strength to live, and that taught me much about the value and power of faith. More recently she has continued to improve her health, being proactive about overcoming many of the residual effects of her treatment. Her impressive weight-loss has set a great example of what drive and consistent action can accomplish.

When anyone sees me, they see a peice of my mom as well; the insight, wisdom, and lessons she has given me, and that is something I will cherish as long as I live . Happy Birthday Mom.  I hope your day is wonderful.