This past weekend I went home to celebrate a very special birthday. I always know it is March in my hometown when there are carpenter bees buzzing around our wisteria and the lilac tree is in full bloom...and more importantly when my mom calls me March 1st to start her birthday count down.

My mom isn't the type of woman to just celebrate her birthday...she celebrates her birthday month...for the whole month. Although some of you (my dad in included) may find this a little extreme, I find it inspiring. There are very few occasions where we allow ourselves to unabashedly celebrate how special and unique we are and I appreciate that my mom honors that in herself at least once a year.

It should also be said that she is the first one to wish you well on your birthday. If you are so lucky as to be in the inner circle she might even hang up a sign, string balloons from the ceiling, send you a card in the mail with stickers on it, and bake a cream cheese frosted carrot cake with chunks of pineapple and walnuts (or at the very least buy you one at Oliver's).

My mama is a nurturing, free spirited, foul mouthed, wild woman who has taught me to stand up tall and be proud of who I am...and I am proud of her too.