"God Bless Mom"

My son Jack knows that I like songs in what we have come to call the "God Bless Mom" genre. The ur-text for these is Glen Hansard's "God Bless Mom", by the Irish group The Frames. Here is the official GBM youtube video, sent out to my own Mom-Joyce, who is spending her birthday at a hermitage retreat (with Wally, of course) in northern Minnesota. She's not twittering or logging on, but I can picture the two of them on snowshoes in the quiet of the woods.

There's something about a group of Irish lads making music on the love-your-mom theme that warms the very cockles of my heart. I can appreciate the screeching, head banging effects, too. The best version is on their Live in Dublin album, "Set List": this one is nice for the video view and the brief interview at the end on late night Irish telly with the late, lovely Uaneen Fitzsimons.

Here are the lyrics. hmmm...maybe I really should should buy the ringtone for this song.

God bless mom
Best of all
Spread your wings
Fly or fall

You'll see how hard it can be
To keep your side of the deal
And you'll see how hard it can be
To keep one foot in the real

God bless you
Strong and true
Stay at home
Good as gold

And you'll see how hard it can be
To keep your side of the deal
And you'll see how hard it can be
To keep one foot in the real

Happy Birthday, Joyce!

It's the 80th birthday of my wonderful Mom, Joyce Kennedy, an event so noteworthy that I must finally return to elenabella. (It has been a tough February, with computer complications and other unanticipated demands affecting the production of this bio-logue blog.) But the month is almost at an end, bringing at last a most magical day, a birthday rhyme-in-time: Hey, Mama! Happy Birthday!

When I have a chance, I will scan some photos of my mother over the years. For now, here is a glimpse of her at a Twins game. Born in a small town in North Dakota, her life has unfolded now for 8 full decades, something I find almost impossible to believe – until I recall Mom's steady energy, engagement, and emotional and intellectual brilliance. She loves life and lives it well.

Poet, teacher, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, devoted partner to Wally, my mother is a wordsmith and keen participant in the world. She inspires many people with her kindness, wit, intelligence, and clear, easy determination. She was named well, finding and creating Joy in a most natural, unaffected way, nearly every day. Thank you for life, Mom, and Happy Birthday!