Today, we celebrate the 68th birthday of one of the most important women in our lives, my mother. Born the youngest of five siblings, my mom, Joyce, or Josie to many, has always been a steady source of strength and inspiration. More than anyone else, she has had a profound influence on the woman I have become, not only as a daughter, but also as a wife and a mother.
Life taught my mom to be strong at an early age. Within just a few years, she lost both of her parents before she could even finish college. While most young people her age still had their parents to depend on, she had to learn how to take care of herself, work to make ends meet, and continue her studies at the same time. Yet she refused to allow those hardships to determine what her future would become. She finished college with honors and eventually entered government service, beginning a career that would span more than 45 years. Perhaps the strength we see in her today was shaped by those difficult years when giving up was simply not an option.
She may be the youngest among her siblings, but she has never acted like the youngest. My mom has always possessed a natural authority that somehow makes everyone listen. She leads family gatherings, organizes trips, weighs in on major decisions, and, whether we ask for it or not, will definitely tell us what she thinks. She is strong-willed, assertive, and never afraid to speak her mind. Even with my father, she has always stood firmly by her opinions and decisions when it comes to matters concerning our family. But beneath that strong personality is a woman whose decisions have always been rooted in her desire to protect, guide, and care for the people she loves.
That same strength defined her professional life. For more than 45 years as a state auditor, she built a career founded on competence, integrity, and an extensive knowledge of government auditing. Her experience and dedication became a benchmark for many of the people she worked with and mentored through the years. Retirement, however, has hardly slowed her down. My mom simply refuses to let age define what she can and cannot do. She continues to help with my aunt's business and, more importantly, remains ready to help me and my siblings in whatever way she can.
So on her 68th birthday, I simply want to honor the woman behind all that strength. She is not perfect, and she has never pretended to be. But she has loved us, worried about us, fought for us, and stood by us in the best way she knows how. And if life gave me another chance to be born into this world and allowed me to choose my mother, I would still choose her. Every single time. Happy 68th birthday, Mom.
