A Toast to Giggles

Hello to everyone in blogger country. You might recognize us from the photos. We have been the subject of a few blogs over the years. Pepper and I (Bryan) have decided to hijack Giggles’ blog in celebration of her birthday. She likes to do this for us, so it is our turn to pay homage to the wonderful woman that you know as “giggles” and the one that we call “Mom”.

A few years back, Giggles took me (I’m just going to reference myself in first person) in after what was probably one of the most epic moments in my life. Without even thinking, she took me in. This was one of the first times I met this side of Giggles. She has an open heart to match her open arms. She calls her house the “house of healing”, and it truly is. Beautiful art and vibrant colors coincide with exuberant smiles and booming laughter.

There are sentiments and moments in time where she will understand you without even needing to speak. You may remember a post she had done near Christmas 2006, where we had gone to pick up dinner and found an old organ on the side of the road under a ragged old garbage bag, just as the rain started falling. I merely looked at it, and she knew the thoughts going through my head. We comically (and on my end of the bargain, painfully) got this hefty instrument to the house. She did this because it made me happy. This is one of her few traits that I hope have rubbed off on me.

She has raised a beautiful, strong, smart, caring, and successful woman in Pepper. She has aimed Pepper in the right direction and always given her options. She has always taught her to use her instinct as only a woman can. She has given her the gift of a mind capable of thinking.

I was raised, for most of my childhood, with my family, but I believe that it has been only in the last few years that I have been shaped into a man. She has taught me to stand up for myself and my wife. She has taught me that I have a purpose for being here, rather than just being number 8 in a family of 10. I’ve always been given enough rope to hang myself with, and a couple times I’ve hung, but she’s been there to lift me up and help me to start over. She and Pepper have supported me and my music, which may not always be the easiest.

Last night, she offered to give me a ride home from work, as she had acquired her brother’s car for the day. She told me, “I wanted to give something to everyone for my birthday and I’m so happy I got the opportunity to.” For her birthday, she wanted to help her brother in a time of need, spare me one more bus ride at the end of a hard day, and to bring Pepper to work in the morning to spare her one more bus ride. These were all things that are appreciated, and she wanted to give them to us on her birthday.

We are two 22 year olds that work random day and night shifts and our schedules can occasionally be hectic. Before going to bed, Giggles will quite often make time to setup the coffee pot for the morning and make our lunches. We don’t ask her to do it, but she likes to be able to offer us just those few more minutes in bed. It’s the little things that really make a day. We just wanted to say thank you.

We just wanted to give all of you a VERY small glimpse into the life of an incredible woman whose influence will change the world. She may not have a noble peace prize yet or be a politician, but she, at some point, has made you smile. She has shown you colors, told you stories, shared poems, and hilarious antidotes, and where ever you are in the world, she has made you giggle (or at least smile). So we propose a toast. Either upon reading this in the morning, or whenever it is you read this, take your coffee, raise it up in a toast between you and your computer screen, and say “Giggles”. We dare you not to smile!

Happy birthday, Mom! To many years of love and laughter, vibrant colors and coffee!

We love you very much!

Pepper and Bryan