Mother's Day

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To all you Mothers out there...have a great day!

When I consider Mother's Day a number of thoughts enter my mind quickly. I think of my own mother busting her ass every day to take care of seven of us. I attribute a lot of how I help around the house to having watched her work. That poor woman was always doing laundry and the dishes and cleaning up, and helping with homework, and making a feast for dinner every night.

To top it off, she'd pour herself an iced tea or a water and leave it on the kitchen table. I have distinct memories of messing with her in this regard. She'd pour the drink and head to another room to complete a task and along with my brothers, we'd run into the kitchen and guzzle the drink, and then hide and watch her as she returned. Poor Mom would fill that glass seven times, never quite figuring out how it got empty. God, we should be sorry for that little trick!

I also consider that I never truly, ever and I mean ever, had a serious argument with my mother. Certainly, I had to be disciplined from time-to-time, and every once in awhile one of us would walk away, but there was never a "I hate you, you suck moment!" In a day and age when respect seems distant at times, I am extremely proud of that fact. My mother has always been there and has backed me every step of the way. It sounds corny, but that's what I think of on Mother's Day.

And now, my poor wife... last night she said, "God it takes a lot of energy to parent."
I answered that it would be all right. Chiding her, I said: "Just count your losses. You struck out on the first two, maybe the 3rd one will turn out okay."
"No," she answered, "he's just like the other two."

Honestly, I believe the boys will be just fine. I know how much they depend on their mother. I know they consider her a best friend. God help us if we can go longer than seven minutes without one of them screaming for her to help. It may not seem like it now, and they may occasionally run in to finish up her drink, but they will certainly appreciate it later on, and that's because my wife, like my mother, is committed to the act of being a good Mom.

And there certainly aren't many higher aspirations in life.

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