Vee’s Inspiration September 13, 2024
Thank you. Thank you for all the text and Happy Heavenly Birthday wishes to my Mom. I appreciate all of you. But most of all, I appreciate my wife. She, like all of us, has her flaws but she also has something that all don't have, an instinct to do right amid uncertainty.
My wife says I share too much, but that's who I am.
Due to work obligations, I needed to travel on 9/11. Susan, my Executive Manager, told me she would not have me flying on 9/11 and refused to book any travel for me on 9/11. God works in perfect ways, Dwanney’s going-home celebration was on 9/11. Thank you Susan, love ya! So she booked my trip on 9/12.
Some history for context.
My Mom passed away 13 years ago. For the past 13 years, September 12th, her birthday, has always been a challenging day for me. For the past 13 years, I have taken off that day from work, so I could mourn, reflect, cry, or do whatever I needed to get my head back above water. In the past 13 years, I have never spent this day alone. That was going to change this year. I was planning on doing my normal, get up early, work out, fly out, work, get to my hotel do some work, eat dinner, and go to bed early. But my wonderful wife had different plans. She changed her schedule around and flew to where I was at. She said she would not let me spend this day by myself.
So the story gets better.
Part of our twice-a-year tradition on Mom's going away day and on her birthday, is to toast her up with her favorite drink, an Apple Martini.
So we go to a restaurant that shall remain nameless and have dinner and toast mom. We were informed by our Waiter they didn't have the ingredients for an Apple Martini. Since I stopped drinking, I was ok with having some mocktail substitute, but this is where I take my hat off to my wife. She politely thanked the waiter and the bartender, who came over to give some other options, and said, “Babe, let's go, we will drive to every restaurant until we find one that has an apple martini.” Fortunately, the next restaurant, Bonefish had Apple Martini and made me a custom special non-alcoholic ginger apple drink. I told the waiter our story and our tradition and he and the Manager made dinner and our toast special. Shout out to #BonefishGrill and thank you Babe for turning what would have been a lonely sad day for me into a continuation of a beautiful tribute to our beautiful mom, may she continue to Rest In Peace.