For My Mother

Happy Mother's Day! I hope today is not the only day my mother feels appreciated and loved. It seems somehow negligent to only set aside one day a year to purposely make her feel special.

My mother is now one of my best friends. We share joys and frustrations, fears and plans. That relationship has developed over 38 years in which she has been care-taker, coach, provider, disciplinarian, teacher, referee, nurse...and so much more!

When I was in the second grade and planned my first slumber party in which no one came, my mother invited three of her ninth (?) graders and took me with them to the mall. It didn't quite heal the wound of that rejection, but it was the very best effort she could have made!

Some of my favorite childhood memories with my mom are baking with her during the holidays. That is something that my daughter now looks forward to with me...and of course we make many of the same cookies!

When I was a teenager and needed to raise money for a choir trip to Singapore, she went out of her way to try and sell ads for me. She never meets a stranger, and I hated being a salesman even back then...so she took up the job!

When I returned from a drama trip to London with white blond hair and an extra ear piercing (all my friends were dying to know what my mother would do), she just looked at me and said blithely, "Well, at least you didn't get married while you were over there."

One of the best pieces of advice my mother ever gave me was in regards to choosing a husband. She told me that when I found someone who made me as happy as my father made her, then I would know he was the one. Thanks, Mom for helping me set the bar!

My mother is special on more than just one day a year. I hope she knows that! I'm going to make sure I tell her more often. I wouldn't be the person I am today without her.

I love you MOM!