I made a quick trip to Seattle yesterday — up and back. Some days it seems like I can’t get two things done then there are days like yesterday when I seem to pack a month of activities into one day.

The trip had been planned for a month. I went up to interview a fellow for my next book. This is the cool part about what I do — I get to visit with the most engaging people. We live in a culture that urges us to Live Life Out Loud. I don’t even know what that means but I find the people who interest me most are those who live their lives in a quiet reverence, serving others. We don’t hear enough about the folks like The Marine, Sister, The Redhead. I’ll tell you more about that interview next week.

But the other thing I did in Seattle was see Mama. Some of you know that she was taken by ambulance to the hospital this week. Apparently, unknown to Mama, her blood pressure, which has never been a problem, started rising over the past year. It was soaring by the time she reached the ER.

Thankfully, Mama is now living with my brother and his wife. They’ve run her around all week to one specialist after another. Overall, Mama is pretty healthy.  She went fishing last Saturday and caught a bass that made her pretty proud.

To those of you who knew about Mama and prayed for her, thank you. I know for many of you who read my memoir, especially you Gold Star families and veterans, Mama is a cult hero. She’d never see herself that way. Mama is one of those people who has lived her life in a quiet way. She’s never sought the limelight, never wanted applause for her efforts. A cup of coffee, a garden to tend, a riverbank to fish, a car that goes fast, a good book to read, and an afternoon spent poking around the antique mart. That’s the stuff that makes Mama happy. She likes a slice of good coconut cake from time to time. The last one I made her was from The Cracker Cookbook by Janis Owens. Mama loved that cake.

Anyway, she’s a little tired from the events of the week but she’s doing good. To you veterans and others who’ve sent me notes and called, Mama says to tell you thank you.  To everyone else who is able — even if she drives you crazy — give your Mama a call today.  Then go do something quiet.