Feliz Cumpleaños, Mi Hermano y Mi Mamá

It's my mother's birthday today. We celebrated it yesterday, but it's still worth noting.

It's also my youngest brother's birthday today. We celebrated that yesterday as well -- mostly by arguing politics, it seemed. But we still enjoyed ourselves despite the arguing. And given the way my late father encouraged my siblings and I to think for ourselves, such arguments are almost inevitable during family gatherings.

It's also the Catholic religious holiday known as Feast of the Immaculate Conception but you all probably knew that.