Happy Mother's Day, Mom

I'll admit it freely. I'm one of the luckiest kids on Earth when it comes to parents. I love them now; I loved them when I was a teenager. I knew they were always in charge, but I also knew they were always in my corner. I felt protected without being smothered; I felt free to be creative and unique while being tethered by a common sense. I felt special while knowing I was not the center of the universe. I was raised like a kid, not a science project. I was allowed to get my clothes dirty, to get scratched up, to get my feelings hurt. I was simply told, as a result, to get cleaned up, that a band-aid would fix the scratch, and to let the hurt go and get back out there and have fun. I carry those same truths with me today. 


When I was little, we were like most people and pretty well scraped by--I just never knew it. When I got older and Dad got a prized job at the mine running Big Kate, we were doing pretty well--I just never knew it. We were just people, plain and simple. A pretty good way to be.


When Dad died a few years back, Mom lost her best friend in the world. It would have been easy for her just to fold up, too. They had been together for over 60 years; suddenly she was alone. But anyone who knows Mom knows that wasn't going to happen. She's a trooper; she doesn't expect life to be easy, and she doesn't want to be pampered. She'd rather laugh than cry, and she's always reminded us that God didn't promise us a bed of roses for a life. All that reality gave us good roots.


On the other hand, no mom is better at helping kids reach for the sky. During our kid-hoods and now as adults, the three of us kids still invent crazy things, try just about anything, and don't get too excited if we really mess things up while learning something new. Things can be neatened up, cleared up, and cleaned up. Experiencing all facets of life can be pretty messy; truly experiencing all those facets can come out looking like a train-wreck. However...once that new skill is learned, that challenge met, or that creation brought to fruition...fantastic.


Thanks to Mom and Dad, we have common sense roots, we have dreams that never end, and we truly know love. 


Mom is 83 and has never been more beautiful. I'm blessed to have her as my mom and honored to have her as my friend.


Love ya, Mom.