Thanks Mom!!

Today I spoke to a great friend who is in Scotland, working on his Ph.D. He is one of my favorite people, because of his sharp mind, quick wit, and anti-establishment spirit. We talk 2 or 3 times a year, I wish it was more often, but he is too busy writing poetry and listening to Van Morrison. To be honest, I am jealous, as I would love his life of books, writing, travel, and nice hair.
His mother died last year, and each time we speak, conversation turns in that direction.

From my last post, you see that I usually give my mom a hard time, and ask if she would be interested in seconds. Nakedness, or intimacy, does not come easy for me, as I hide a great deal of my "heartbeat" behind the mask of laughter. As I reach below my chin and yank upward to remove the rubber characature away from my face...listen as I tell you what my Mom has done RIGHT!!

1-Have sex with my dad..(sorry--Mask is back on)
2-Sit up with her son when he was sick
3-Teach her son to read
4-Beat her son when he needed it
5-let her son watch Sesame Street, Captain Kangaroo, and Mr. Rogers
6-Pushed Academics
7-Played Cards with her son
8-Prayed for her son
9-Equipped her son to be independant
10-Introduced her son to Christ
11-Told her son when he was full of it.
12-Active in PTA
13-Active in Church
14-Let her son drink coffee at young age
15-Taught her son to ride a bike
16-Taught her son to drive a car
17-Provided love and stability always for her son
18-kept family together after death of my dad
19-embraced my friends
20-made a house a home
21-Encouraged and Supportive Always
22-Loves my wife
23-Adores my son

The following article by Isaac Bailey, a local news writer, says a lot about my mom:

MOTHERS ARE BEST GIFT OF ALL

A mother. So important she can't be adequately described.
Because she cooks and cleans and hugs and kisses and reads and debates and studies for her doctorate in education or her master's in child rearing and holds the family up when it wants to fall down.
A mother. She is stay-at-home and out-in-the-work-world and step and divorced and married and adoptive and single and foster and even childless, because she would give her right arm and left eye if God would bring her little one back or grant her the ability to get pregnant - just once - to become ...A mother.
She wonders and worries. She's patient and impatient and everything in between. Because she loads the dishwasher and washing machine and dryer or hangs clothes on the backyard clothesline, then folds, then scrubs the toilet and repacks the toy box and vacuums and tries not to forget it's time to begin preparing dinner all while finding five minutes here to read a book to little Johnny or two minutes there giving in to the screams for attention from Little Susie ... knowing she'll have to start all over again in the morning and the next and the next, without receiving the $131,471 salary.com says she'd receive if she were paid for all she does.
A mother.
She's beautiful, radiant, but doubts she is. Because her breasts don't hang quite right. Because her backside hangs more than ever. Because she doesn't have time to jog five miles a day. Because her husband's eyes no longer light up as they did on the first date. Because the women on TV keep getting younger and thinner and prettier. Because she's told she's too fat. Because she's told glamour has long pulled away from her station.
A mother.
She's strong but wonders: ``What's it all for? Will they grow into well-adjusted adults because of or in spite of me?'' Because sometimes she feels tired, sometimes can't listen to another ``Mom, I need'' without wanting to scream.
Because sometimes people stare with judgment when Little Johnny and Susie sometimes act like brats in public.
A mother.
But she loves it, wouldn't trade the world for it, because though it doesn't always bring her happiness, it always brings her joy.
Because somewhere deep within she realizes - and she knows everyone else knows even when they are reluctant to admit it - that there's no greater gift than ... a mother.

Because the American Poet in Scotland shares his hurt over the death of his mother...I appreciate mine more.

Thanks mom...for everything.