Happy birthday to Mum!

It's my mum's birthday today.

I remember one fateful year, on a particularly bad day at home when everyone was stepping on everyone's toes and yelling matches between my mum and I escalated to total icy silence at the dinner table, punctuated by the obligatory banging of bowls to signify how angry we both were, which was suddenly broken when she started crying silently. *Stunned, guilty, very very guilty silence.* And she finally stammered out "It's... my birthday today. And nobody remembered."

O_O

*frantic secret smses to the Brother, who was out on a date, saying "COME HOME NOW EMERGENCY BUY CAKE MUM'S BDAY NO ONE REMEMBERED. HURRY SHE'S CRYING."*

You bet your last dollar that we'll remember her birthday every darn year from then on. And you bet we overcompensated the following year, replete with an expensive surprise birthday cake at Grandma's and many many hugs and kisses and well wishes. Of course, every year she would remind us of the horrible time when we forgot her birthday, but that's another story altogether.

So I'd just like to put it on record that I have the best mum in the world, who taught me not to waste time on self pity, who taught me to always look on the bright side of things and to be positive no matter what. The mum who taught me the importance of lovely bags and shoes, and demonstrated how a wardrobe full of classic pieces is more lasting and classy than trendy cheap chic clothes. I've also picked up bad habits from her, such as sleeping really late and obsessively trying to top our personal Bejewelled high scores. I've inherited her sweet smile and short stumpy legs, as well as her love for nail polish and several of her branded bags. I can't imagine my world without her and am proud to call her my mum.

Happy birthday mum. I love you!