I had a really nice day today. I spent the afternoon with some friends, had a good lunch, and came home with some neat gifts and way too many Christmas cookies.

And a case of the blues. Because the events of the day would have been perfect fodder for a call to my mother. She had met (and liked) every friend I saw today. She would have been interested to hear about the gathering, and especially interested to hear the latest news from another friend---one I ran into on the way to lunch, but had not seen in a long time.

She probably would have asked me how he looked, if he still had the same job, etc., and would have been pleased to hear he was doing fine.

But she wasn't around to ask. These days, her voice is only heard in my heart.

If you have a mother who's part of your life in an everyday way, go call her, even if you don't have time right now (okay, if you're reading this in the middle of the night, wait till a time when a ringing phone won't scare her). Tell her you love her, and ask about her day, too.

Say hello for me.