breaking my self-imposed silence

i'm interrupting my period of self-imposed 

bloggersphere silence 

for an important occassion 

it's my momma's 

birthday

that's my momma and me in the pic above 

she's still as beautiful

i'm bigger now!

on this birth

day 

for my momma

i want to re-print some words 

that have become 

some of my favorite words 

written by 

macrina wiederkehr: 

What is home but that place where 

your name becomes precious, 

the place where your name finds its power? 

You find power when you are at home

because it is there that you are 

loved, cherished, and accepted as you are, 

with all your frailty, fears, and flaws. 

It is there in that lovely dwelling place called home

that you discover you don't have to be perfect to be loved.

There at home, you are able to embrace the truth

that it's part of your life's journey to be in process.

You don't have to be finished to be good. 

You don't have to be finished to see your splendor.

What is home but that place where forgiveness 

stands at the door, peers out the window,

and rushes down the steps to meet you? 

You may be thinking, "I've never felt that kind of home."

macrina goes on to write

but i stop here to say

i have been more than blessed 

to have experienced the kind of home she describes

my mother is one of the 

very important people in my life

who has loved me

in such a healthy and whole way 

that i have been able to 

to not only get a glimpse of 

who i really am 

i have 

finally grasped 

with courage and gratitude 

the life i was born 

to live

my mother not only birthed me

she embraced me

she protected me but at the same time

nudged me to be strong and independent 

she listened

oh my lord 

has the women listened 

to my words 

and because she listened 

i re-discovered again and again 

how deeply i am loved

because she listened

i found my way

my mother has in the core of her being

the very stuff that

those who came before us had...

you know those 

women who made there way west 

in wagons and horses

and pioneered 

wild and beautiful 

lands.

my mother is one of those 

who has the beauty and the tenacity 

to....

well, 

to make things 

happen

she's one of those 

TEXAS women that make people 

proud to be a TEXAN

i am proud to be 

the son of 

GERTIE MARIE WEISINGER SPENCER

happy birthday 

to the best momma 

a boy could have.