Everyone deserves a Good Mom

Over the years, I’ve come to many realizations.

One of the first was that nothing is ever free and that if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. The second great epiphany was that all people are driven by incentives. I knew this long ago, but reading ‘Freakonomics’ helped to put things into a much better perspective. The third is that life is nothing without someone to share it with. Whether it’s your close or extended family, old friends or new, life’s ups and downs are meant to be shared.

Ever have one of those days where everything just seems to go right? On your drive to work, the red light turns green, you get free coffee and then arrive to an email from your boss telling you what a great job you’ve been doing. They don’t come often but when they do, I know I want to share them.

Maybe this scenario sounds more familiar: On your way to work, the light turns green to red, back to green again, and you still haven’t moved because of the traffic jam up ahead. You spill your coffee on your lap before arriving to dozens of emails, all blaming you for someone else’s mistake. Those kind of days come a bit more often for most folks, and they are always the ones you want to vent about.

You know who wants to hear about both of them no matter what? Mom does. Sure your spouse will often lend a sympathetic ear when you have a bad day and will always be there to celebrate your triumphs. However Mom will listen to all the days that fall in-between. The days when your car won’t start, or your favorite show gets cancelled, or they stop selling the McRib…again.

My dad would tell me to call AAA and have them jump my car. My brother would ask why I was calling him to talk about TV shows and sandwiches. But Mom? Mom would listen to all of it and then reassure me that McDonalds will soon bring back the McRib like they always do.

It’s what moms do best. They make us feel better when the world gets us down, even when it’s just the small stuff. Growing up, she knew that when you said you were sick, you weren’t, but she’d still let you stay home. She knew when you asked for $10, you really needed $20, and she’d always give you $30. Most importantly, she knew that when you didn’t say anything, it was probably when you needed to talk most.

I can’t ever imagine either of my parents not being around. Unfortunately it’s a reality that someday they will pass, and I won’t be able to tell them how important they were or how much they meant to me. Lucky for me, for now, I have this handy column that my mom proofreads and my dad skims once in a while. Safe to say they’re aware of their importance, yes? Just in case, Love you both.

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