Tomorrow is your Mom's birthday. I won't mention her age. No one would be believe me if I did. She still looks great. Hot, even.

Being in love with someone is like being on a life raft with them. At first you are aware that you are on that boat because the love is so new and all-encompassing and the memory of the chasm just on the other side is fresh and sometimes scary. Then the boat - or is it the sea - stabilizes and you feel confident and empowered as you go through life. That you can go anywhere together. Do anything together. Be anything together. And if you are lucky time will pass and you will start to notice that the life raft is not very big after all. And that the little life raft is fragile; that all it takes is one person to poke a hole in it and let the air out at which point your only hope is that the base is made of wood.

I've been lucky these 11 years I've been married to your mom in that she's been a great companion on that raft. This has been especially important when you kids climbed on board with us for at times it felt pretty small and crowded. Your mom is so caring for you kids, always making sure you had on a life vest and always making sure you had a good time. Me, being my moody self, would sometimes sit on the corner of the raft and brood and your mom would always know when to let me sit and simmer and when to pull me out of it. She just has that kind of magic. If anything, there isn't enough raft for your mom. Her spirit is too pure and strong.

When you get your own raft one day and choose a companion, I can only hope you are as lucky as I have been. Remember that the raft is really small. Find someone you want to spend a lot of time with. Remember that the raft is really fragile. Find someone who complements and extends who you are. And when you find that person, take care of them and let them take care of you.

So, whenever you read this – if you ever read this – think of your mom and what a great companion she's been to us. And do the same.

There's a saying boaters have that goes something like "one hand for the boat and one hand for yourself". You do this so that a sudden gust or dive won't through you off the boat. The metaphor works here too but maybe I should be explicit. Life goes on and if you focus all your energy on the boat (family) then you are actually at risk for losing your balance and falling off the boat. Conversely, if you focus on your energy on yourself then you may find the boat has gone into disrepair during your absence. Find the balance.