Happy birthday Mom!

My mom has repeatedly told me I don't HAVE to post anything for her birthday. It's too much pressure, she says. So I'll keep this short and sweet.

When I was home last winter break, I went with my mom to drop my little sister off at dance class. We ended up going shopping. I bought boots, a scarf, and some earrings my mom talked me into because I deserved them. Then we hung out at a bar near the dance studio and got some veggies so deep fried that there was nothing healthy left in them.

This night always sticks out in my memory. It was a really nice night, and my mom felt more like a friend than a mom, but in a really good way.

I've been really homesick lately, but mostly, I've been wishing I could spend an evening at home with my parents and little sister. I love how it has turned out that my mom is someone I really like hanging out with.

She drove three hours to see me run around in circles. She woke up early, and stood around in the heat while I ran in circles -- actually, she's done that twice. She's my best cheerer. She is the first person I call with good news and the first person I call with bad news; she's a great campfire companion, a social media maven, an activist and a hippie, and the kind of person I want to be when I grow up.

Happy birthday Mom! Hope it's a great one.