On December 20th, 1948 the greatest women that I will ever know was born "My Mom".... I lost my mom in October of 2000 after a couragous battle with cancer... Some of you knew my mom but, for those of you that didn't she was not just my mom but she was my best friend.... She was everything to my family, and when we lost her there was a big crater left behind.... She was always the life of the party, and tried to make everyone around her laugh, and be happy... Don't get me wrong, and for those of you that did know her.... If she had something to say rather you liked it or not you heard it... LOL Anyway, there is a poem that I would like to share with you all, and I would like to dedicate it to my mom for it would have been her 60th birthday... So with that said "Happy Birthday Mom" this one is for you....

"A Firefighter's Mom"

From the time I was born
she knew I was special
And with a gleam in her eye
she would tell me
"You're different from the rest.
You're better than the rest".
As I looked up at her
with adoration in my five year old eyes
I told her
"I'm going to be a Firefighter, Mom"...

Many years later, many years older
she would call after me
As I rushed out of the house
"You're the best at what you do
But please be safe, I don't want to lose you"...
As I got into my car to race to the station
I would turn to scold her
"I'm a firefighter, Mom"....

She was always worried.
She would always pray.
And one night, I over heard her say,
"Dear God, watch over my firefighter child...
There's nothing I can do.
I cannot protect him like you.
For I am just a firefighter's Mom"....

As I sit at her grave
I can't help but remember the person that she was....
She was patient, she was kind,
and she was proud of me...
And as I look into the heavens,
I whisper to her,
"You were different from the rest,
Better than the best.
You were the best at what you did.
And I didn't want to lose you....
There is nothing I can do..."

And then I whisper to God,
Dear God, watch over my Mom...
There's nothing I can do.
I cannot protect her like you.
You see, she was different from the rest.
She was better than the best...
She was the best at what she did...
I didn't want to lose her...
She was a firefighter's Mom