May Day! May Day!

May Day! May Day! ... It's usually a call for help from someone who is in distress. And frankly, I am distressed. I think 15 years just went by in the blink of an eye and there's nothing I could have done to stop it! May Day, indeed!

Yes, it's Carter's 15th birthday. Yes, I said 15!

How did I cope? Well I visited my hair artist to make sure she washed away all signs that I am old enough to have a 15-year-old. (Not that I blame the teenager for any of those hard-earned grays.) Later, at work, I sneaked in a 30-minute chair massage to knead away all the stress. (Not that I blame the teenager for any of those hard-earned knots.)

Well maybe I do a little. I summed it up like this..

As much as I tell him, he probably doesn't believe he's the light of my world and that by giving him life, I love him so much I would be willing to give mine to save his at any given moment. He may be a smart-alec teen, but he might not be smart enough just yet to realize the depth of love a mother -- this mother -- holds for her son.

Even if he is getting into those terrible teens we've all been warned about. And even if he just reminded me tonight, "Just 3 years and I'm gone!" Every minute of his life -- that's 7,884,000 of them for those keeping score at home -- has been 100 percent worth it.

So whether he's making me smile, cry, laugh or try harder to be a good mom, I love every adorable dimpled eye-rolling response he sends my way.

As long as every once in awhile when I say "I love you," he responds with "You, too!" instead of just "Yup."

Happy birthday, angel!