i love you, beppe...

who else but mady? she's so real. what you see is what you get. honesty with kindness...with a little say-it-as-it-is added in. here's the conversation with my mom tonight: (let me say, first, that my family is one of the most warm, inviting, thoughtful bunch you'll find. our hearts are as big as the ocean, but acting on what's going on in our minds is...well, sometimes not so obvious. BUT, this doesn't mean that we don't MEAN to call/send a card/letter/email!)

"is that beppe on the phone?"

"yes, mat, it is"

"ok, well, if she isn't going to call me for my birthday i'd like my 'happy birthday' now."

(now, if i didn't know her~and love her~i would have thought her extremely rude...but, this is how mady rolls. she in no way meant to be rude~just honest.)

my mom, being the incredibly good sport she is...and just because she appreciates mady (ok, she appreciates (read: LOVES) anything that has to do w/her children or grandchildren ;) laughed. i mean gut-laughed. was she offended? absolutely not. did she wish mady a happy birthday? of course...and with a huge smile~the exact same thing that was coming from the other side of the phone line.

after i hung up, mady said to me, so profoundly and seriously, "oh, i just LOVE beppe". now THAT makes me happy...and sentimental...and reflective~ok, i'm moody...deal with it! ;)