Dear Mum (Mom if you were born in the USA)

I think they celebrate Mother's Day in New Zealand on some other day of the year.  That's the excuse I'll use for not calling, e-mailing, writing, or sending anything yesterday.  If I is was to call you, e-mail or do anything it would probably go along the lines of "thanks for being the best Mum ever", "looking forward to seeing you in a few weeks when you stop in to see us for a few days on your way to see your daughter (my sister) have her first baby", and "oh yeah, when you first get here I'll be leaving town to fly to Utah the next day to run a marathon". 

I know - I see you & Dad about once every 3 or 4 years it seems like, but you'll have your favorite grandkids to play with while I'm gone.   They'll keep you busy.

Running a marathon probably seems like a silly idea to you but at least it is not as stupid as that time I jumped off a 80 foot bridge into a flooded river in upstate New York - and sending you that photo of me in mid-flight. 

Or there was that other dumb thing I did when I put my brother & sister in Dad's car & we decided to run / drive away from home.  I know we only got about a 1/2 mile & banged up the car a bit - but when you are only 7, it's really hard to see over the steering wheel & the other 2 screaming made it hard for me to focus.

I know you know that I am a grown up now with 3 kids of my own - sure they are cute, smart & healthy etc - but how or why they do dumb things is beyond me. 

At times I wonder how you did it, raising us 3 kids you call your own.  No matter how old we have become - we can still call you the best Mum - cause that is what you are.  I love you.