And now, for something totally unexpected

Guess what I did today? It doesn't involve hair color like Andi's but is just about as unexpected. Any guesses? Save 'em - because if you know me personally, you wouldn't get it right anyway. So here's what I did -- I visited my mom.

I haven't seen my mom in several years. She has seen the kids - I was just not in on the visits. Totally by my choice. My mom has never stopped wanting to see me, calling, sending cards, flowers, gifts. She never gave up hoping that someday we would reconcile. She's tenacious that way.

I'm sure we could both make a list a mile long of things that have upset us with each other - both real and imagined. We don't see eye to eye on some things. Heck on some things, we don't see eye to elbow but that has never changed the fact that I love her.

She would tell me I was going to miss her when she was dead. I don't think she realized I already missed her. I missed the kind of relationship we could have had. I missed the kind she could have had with the kids. I missed what could have been and I was left with what was -- and what was wasn't particularly good.

I'm sure some people might think that Bill's dad dying -- or Cheryl dying -- or even Nana leaving had something to do with my decision to contact her. They would be wrong.

It all happened because of an 11 year old tenderhearted boy named Jacob. He asked me the other day to see her again. His question was, "Mom, don't you think everyone deserves a second or tenth or fortieth chance? I know Grandmama misses you a lot." Hard to argue with logic like that. Especially when the asker is crying.

So I called her Saturday and wished her a Happy Mother's Day. And today I took the kids and Sophie and we visited with her all day. We had a very nice time. We agreed to put all of our differences behind us and start fresh - without dragging up the past, but leaving it there where it rightly belongs. I hope and pray we can do that.

And in the time we have left together, I hope we will fill it with wonderful memories.