The Thing about Mom

Tonight I feel compelled to write about my mother. I  hope she's reading this, because I want her to know how much I love her.

My brother and I grew up with a mom and dad.  Our parents didn't divorce until I was in my first year of college.  My dad was known for being "smart".  I've written about this before and I don't really want to go back into it now, but he was one of those people who didn't ever need to study and who could pick up mathematical concepts the way some people pick up a common cold.

But, my mother.  She is a phenomenon.  I had the best childhood because of her.  She never sweated the small stuff, like play doh in a shag carpet or crayon on the wall.  She taught me right from wrong but she didn't detonate when the wrong was pretty bad.  She just loved me. No matter what.  She still does.  I always knew that no matter what I did, I could go to her, and she would love me and be there for me.

Because of her I gained the confidence to do whatever I wanted.  I knew that I could be the best if I worked hard enough.  Her love and belief in me was like a rock I leaned against and still is.  I always knew that she cared.  I always knew that the source of that love and concern was a fierce entity all by itself...if she ever suspected that I or my brother were hurting or being hurt, or suffering in any way, she became someone else entirely...someone lethal and determined.

My mother taught me how to treat other people.  She taught me to be kind and respectful.  She taught me how to be brave, and how to weather emotional storms.  Her example is what I hearken back to when I'm trying to parent my own kids.

She created a loving home for my brother and me.  She is creative, she is organized, she works hard, she laughs...and how I love that laugh.  Betty Rubble.

My mother understood and still understands that the most important thing in life is the people that you love.  Things like status, designer clothes, large houses, and fancy cars were never important to her.  My brother and I were.  And in that, she taught us the true meaning of eternity:  Investing in the things that will stay with you in the next life is the key to true happiness.

My mother took us to church and introduced us to God at a very young age.  She went to church alone for years...something that's difficult to do when your other half has absolutely no interest in religion at all.  She is brave. She showed us, through her example, that sometimes doing the right thing is not the easiest thing, but it can be done.

What she gave me, I can't find in a book.  I can't buy it, trade for it, or pretend it.  It's priceless.  It's her wisdom.  It's her guidance.   It's my life.