Cal, guess what? Mother's Day is coming. I know it's a time period you never forget. You want to know why? Because it typically falls on the same weekend as another special time for you - Fishing Opener! For you, in many cases, you wake up close to the time of celebration, and mom comes up to you and says "You know what weekend is coming up", and most of the time you respond with fishing opener, but knowing Mother's Day is around the corner. You typically would call your friends up in Bemidji and inquire on what they're doing. From what I can remember, most, if not all of the time, they would be available for at least part of the fishing-opener weekend and would invite you to come up, stay, socialize, and fish. Your boat was always in perfect condition so "the boys" would have you bring that up too. You would be very careful, and vocal, about who was allowed on the boat, and how it was treated. For me thinking back on this, I think it was one of your most exciting times of the year. You were in a period where ice fishing was over, and the lakes (and the weather) were possibly not warm enough to venture out (not to mention, you were not allowed to keep fish). It was exciting for us too, as the complaining regarding your inability to fish would soon be at an end. I know as you got older, spending time with your friends became more important. I think you really missed being around them, as they had moved up north. I think it helped your tank of much needed socialization, which was always hard for you. All of that being said, you were also respectful of Mother's Day, and would always wish mom a happy Mother's Day when the day came. You would, as hard as it was for you, spend more time with mom - giving her attention that I truly felt she longed for (from you). You were always thoughtful, thinking of something that you could get mom that she would enjoy - even if it was the smallest of items (from your perspective). I remember one year, when you were much younger, you wrote on a piece of paper (I guess you could call it a card if you wanted to) that she would get 5 hugs and/or kisses any time she wanted. However, you thought 5 was too many, so instead of creating a new "card", you simply crossed out the 5 and put a 3 over it - not at all hiding the fact that you were reducing the amount because it simply wasn't reasonable. It's these types of things that everyone around here misses so much of you. You had a quirky sense of humor that we loved so much, and completely miss. This isn't the first Mother's Day you have missed, but it is the first one that I've decided to write about. It gets harder to remember all of the wonderful things you have provided to our family and your friends. I want to be sure to capture as much as I can and keep your memories and stories alive. We all wish you were here for this time of year. It's something that we'll yearn for forever. For mom, being your mother, I'm sure this amplifies her sorrows for you significantly - and it will be a very difficult time for her. If you're able to in some small fashion, offer your mom some subtle hint on Mother's Day - something to remind her that you're thinking of her. I know she would appreciate that. Take care Cal. As always, we love and miss you.
-Love your family