No Politics today

Hey, how about we skip politics for today while we celebrate the great mothers that deserve our love, praise, thanks,  and admiration. My wonderful mom isn't around any more. She making pasta and sauce up in heaven, but that doesn't stop me from looking up and thanking her for all she's done for me.

I am also grateful for the all the mothers that are in my life today. My wonderful wife, two sisters, and daughters who are all mothers.  Maybe my biggest joy today is I have a granddaughter, married last year, who is giving our family a great Christmas present this coming December. Yep, this old man is going to be a great-grandfather.  So, to my granddaughter, who has a living being in her body; Happy Mother's Day, Cayla.

I was honored to spend four years as the media relations spokesperson for the California branch of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. In addition to speaking to children, I facilitated many parenting seminars with some wonderful mothers.

Many times there were young mothers in the class, and being several years older than the mothers, we had many discussions on being a parent today compared to what mothers did in my generation. There were very interesting discussions on motherhood during my "archaic" times compared to motherhood today.

Some of the young mothers were aghast when I told them that I played in many athletic games growing up, but mom never came to a single game. Of course I would tease back by calling them "helicopter moms". I have a daughter who not only attends all of my grandson's games, she goes to most of the practices. I'll even go out on a limb and write that I think my daughter even knows the batting averages of all my grandson's teammates. On the other hand my mother didn't even know what a batting average was. If I came home from the games unhurt, mom was happy enough, and  never gave too much thought about the outcomes of the games.

I always defended my own mother, calling her the ultimate "household engineer". She had my two sisters, my dad, and gramps who lived with us, to take care of; cleaning, cooking and balancing. I never felt left out. I always told mothers in my seminars that children want to know, more than anything, that they are always loved; through all the good and bad times, along with being shown love.

Mom had a lot to do with me gaining my independence. With Dad, she raised me well, and when I turned eighteen I was ready to make a decision on my own either for college or the military. I chose the U.S. Air Force first, and college later. I did well in both decisions. Thanks mom for honoring my decisions. I did OK.

This morning while staring at the coffee pot, and waiting for my first cup, I thought of a great comforting moment mom gave me seventy-one years ago when I was six, in the first grade. We had a special needs girl in our class. Once, when it was milk and cookies time this special needs six-year old was acting up, and you could see that it was because of her special needs status. Our first grade teacher wouldn't let her enjoy her milk and cookies treat. She cried and cried, not understanding why? Later, that night I was sobbing, and mom came into my room, and I asked, "why does God make little kids like that mom"?  She held me in her arms comforted me, ran her hands smoothly over my head and just said, "don't worry, God  takes special care of them". I am seventy-seven now, and that night's comfort and love from my mother is something I'll never forget.

All the mothers in my seminars, young and old, all agreed on one major realization; really doesn't matter which roads you take as long as you let your children know every minute of the day that they are loved, and take the valuable, and the-never-enough time time to show them they are loved. There's nothing that a child endears more, young and old, than mom's hug. I', not ashamed to write that at seventy-seven I still miss the hugs.
 
We also agreed that being a good mom is difficult at times, if it's done right. But it's also the most rewarding task a woman will ever experience. Thanks mom, for all you did for me, and for all the love you showed me every day.

Back to Politics with Pete tomorrow...God bless all mothers; alive and in heaven.