Thirty-plus years ago, I remember my mom reading an Erma Bombeck article that made her chuckle. It was about being polite. The line that really tickled her? Erma wrote in one of her weekly columns: “The next door neighbor kids were so polite; they would write me a thank you note for taking a drink out of our garden hose.”

Mom put the paper down and said, “That sounds about right.”

I was raised in a house where social graces were of the utmost importance. Being polite trumped all other aces. That had been ingrained in my essence since birth. When babies are learning to speak, their first words are typically “mama” and “dada”. Mine were “please” and “thank you”.

When Mom passed away a few weeks ago, I was gratefully gobsmacked by the sheer outpouring of love from my friends and family. An example? My friend Eileen stopped what she was doing one morning to bring me a Chai tea up to Mom’s ICU room. It was a simple act of kindness, but one I will remember for the rest of my life. Why? Because at that exact moment, I desperately needed a hug — and some caffeine. I also needed to have a complete breakdown, which I did right after Eileen left. I may start my own tea line and call it Cathartic Chai … because nothing will ever top that drink. (In the hysteria of the moment, I also, GASP! – forgot to give kudos to Eileen. Mom would be appalled. So I’m taking this opportunity to do … and then some. Eileen, thank you! You get a gold star, dear.)

My buddy Eric drove fifteen hours up from Austin to be at Mom’s visitation. If you think that goes above and beyond the call of duty … you would be right. The fact that he also wore a suit meant that he just reached a new zenith in the hierarchy of appreciation. I’ve known him for twelve years, and didn’t even know he owned a tie. He looked so nice folks thought he was the funeral director.

The day after Mom passed, a friend of mine sent me a Facebook message that read: “You are loved.” Truer words have never been spoken. I continue to feel that way on a minute-by-minute basis, and I just wanted to say thanks and God bless to everyone who has reached out to me over the last three weeks.

Mom was only semi-tolerant of my friends growing up. Years later, she lightened up considerably. Over Labor Day Weekend, she told me that I had surrounded myself with the perfect people … and to always cherish them. You all know who you are.

So on this Xmas Day, that’s what I’m doing. Here’s me … showing the love right back. I don’t think there are enough thank you cards in the world to show how blessed I really am.