This is a very special birthday for me. A sort of mile stone birthday so to speak. No, not the typical milestones we think of like the "sweet sixteen" or the year one can vote, or even the year one can collect Social Security (that's coming up soon though). No, it's special because it has been nine months, twenty-eight days and fourteen hours since my cousin gave me the gift of knowing who gave birth to me.

For many, many years I prayed that I would find my birth mother; not only so I could get answers to numerous questions, but also so I could thank her for giving birth to me and loving me so much. On my birthday, Mother's Day and many other days, I would whisper a little thank you into the air in hopes that the message would get to my birth mother (who ever and where ever she was) and she would know in her heart that I was thankful. Last night, the eve of my birthday, I was able to look at my birth mother's sweet face and say that thank you.

Thank you Mommy Patty for your sacrifices so that I could have life.

Thank you Mom Juanita and Dad Harold for raising and loving your sister's baby after Mommy Patty went to meet her Maker.

Thank you Cousin T for revealing Mommy Patty to me.

Thank you my Dearest Kim our lives together.