Stephen Colbert really loved his mother.
Wednesday on The Colbert Report, the political satirist delivered a sincere, emotional tribute to his mom, who passed away June 12 at age 92.
"I've been away from the Report for a week because one week ago from today, my mother Lorna Tuck Colbert died. And I want to thank everybody who offered their thoughts and prayers," he began.
"When you watch the show, if you like this show, that's because of everybody who works here, and I'm lucky to be one of them," he said. "But when you watch the show and you also like me, that's because of my mom. So before we start the show again, I'd like to tell you a little bit about her."
Stephen warmly recounted his mother's childhood, fondly telling the story of how she met his father.
"She met my father James at age 12 at cotillion and she liked him, but she didn't want him to know how much, so she would make her friends ride their bikes all the way across town to pass by his house, but then she'd never look to see if he was in the front yard, which of course drove her friends crazy," he said. "And evidently, she drove my father crazy because they married and had 11 children."
"She made a very loving home for us," he said. "No fight between siblings could end without hugs and kisses, although hugs never needed a reason in her house."
"She knew more than her share of tragedy, losing her brother and her husband and three of her sons," he said. "But her love for her family and her faith in God somehow gave her the strength not only to go on but to love life without bitterness and instill in all of us a gratitude for every day we have together."
"We were the light of her life, and she let us know it 'til the end," he said." And that's it. Thank you for listening."
From there, Colbert wrapped up, saying that returning to work "is what she would want me to do."
"When I was leaving her last week, I leaned over and I said, 'Mom, I'm going back to New York to do the show,' and she said, 'I can't wait to see it. I wouldn't miss it for the world.'"
There is most definitely cable TV in heaven.