Mother's Day Thoughts
I went to Jolly Pirate Donuts yesterday morning. That should come as no surprise to any of you, as maintaining my figure doesn't come easy. But yesterday's run to the little shop in Reynoldsburg wasn't about me. See, I had told Little Red that I would make breakfast for on Mother's Day. And she replied with "All I really want is some Jolly Pirate Donuts" And while I am almost positive that was her polite way of saying "no way am I eating something you cook", I was happy to go get her Long John's. And maybe a couple peanut butter creams for me. But that's not really important.
Facebook was busy with Mother's Day posts yesterday. Thanks Mom and So Blessed were common thoughts as usual. However, many of the posts this year talked about the definition of Mom and how really it has nothing to do with biology. And I smiled. Because that's the story of two of the greatest Mom's I have ever met. My sister, Angelia, and my Little Red.
Both of these amazing women made a decision to become a Mom. My sister has been many things to me. Best Friend. Arch nemesis. Childhood protector. Childhood bully. But it was a few years ago that she took on a new role for me. Back when she and David ran karaoke every night and she was just starting out in life, they had the whole world in front of them and she was on the road to being the President (That is no exaggeration, that's really where she was headed). But she gave that up. A moment came in time when she decided that a group of young strangers were more important than anything else she could have ever accomplished in life. That's when she decided to step in and be a Mother when someone else would not. A moment when she decided that being called Mom would be way more satisfying than ever being called Madam President. And in that moment, she became one of my heroes. Today, many years down the road, some of those kids are grown, others are still working on it. But I hope each of them realize how lucky they truly are. Because back then, this woman decided that there was nothing more important in this world than them. And that is still true today.
My wife, yeah she made an even crazier decision a few years ago herself. Tiffany decided that she was willing to take on 3 step-sons as part of being with me. Can you imagine? We were a scraggly barely keeping it together bunch of guys that she looked at and said "yep, I can make this work." Funny thing is, she did. From the moment she stepped in to our lives, everything changed. The lows stopped being so low. The path got a little smoother. And when the boys came home for good a couple of years ago, the fraying edges of my little family were suddenly sewn up. She set my world right and taught us all how to enjoy life and family. I am a better man because of her, and I cannot imagine where we would be now if she hadn't come along. She has truly become a Mom to them, and, like my sister's children, I hop they realize how lucky they are.
Its expected, you know, being on social media. Living in the time we are, NOT wishing everyone a happy holiday is considered poor etiquette. So we post, all the Merry Christmas's and Thank to to the Veteran's and Happy 4th', ain't America great? And it is. And Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or whatever social media sites may be out there become the vehicle by which we share our thoughts on whatever we are celebrating today.
Yesterday was no exception. All over the world people took to the internet to wish all the Mom's out there a Happy Mother's Day. Even I got into the act, sending good thoughts to all of the awesome Mom's I know. But Mother's Day is very bittersweet for me. While I celebrate Angelia and Tiffany being the amazing Mom's they didn't have to be, I miss my own Mom more than you can possibly imagine. I am grateful for the fact that I got to call her mom. I am one of Linda's kids, and that comes with its own special set of memories and traits that I am blessed to have been given. So yesterday morning, when the sad realization hit (as it does every year) that I cannot call her to thank her for being my Mom, I thought about all that she accomplished, and smiled because that remarkable woman would have told you that I was one of the most important things in the world to her. What an honor it is to be her son.
Day # 800. While I wish my Mom was here to celebrate Mother's Day with us, I look at Tiffany and Angelia and realize that she is never far away. Each of them remind me so much of her. From my sister being the glue that keeps us together to my wife being ever supportive, it is good to be me.
Facebook was busy with Mother's Day posts yesterday. Thanks Mom and So Blessed were common thoughts as usual. However, many of the posts this year talked about the definition of Mom and how really it has nothing to do with biology. And I smiled. Because that's the story of two of the greatest Mom's I have ever met. My sister, Angelia, and my Little Red.
Both of these amazing women made a decision to become a Mom. My sister has been many things to me. Best Friend. Arch nemesis. Childhood protector. Childhood bully. But it was a few years ago that she took on a new role for me. Back when she and David ran karaoke every night and she was just starting out in life, they had the whole world in front of them and she was on the road to being the President (That is no exaggeration, that's really where she was headed). But she gave that up. A moment came in time when she decided that a group of young strangers were more important than anything else she could have ever accomplished in life. That's when she decided to step in and be a Mother when someone else would not. A moment when she decided that being called Mom would be way more satisfying than ever being called Madam President. And in that moment, she became one of my heroes. Today, many years down the road, some of those kids are grown, others are still working on it. But I hope each of them realize how lucky they truly are. Because back then, this woman decided that there was nothing more important in this world than them. And that is still true today.
My wife, yeah she made an even crazier decision a few years ago herself. Tiffany decided that she was willing to take on 3 step-sons as part of being with me. Can you imagine? We were a scraggly barely keeping it together bunch of guys that she looked at and said "yep, I can make this work." Funny thing is, she did. From the moment she stepped in to our lives, everything changed. The lows stopped being so low. The path got a little smoother. And when the boys came home for good a couple of years ago, the fraying edges of my little family were suddenly sewn up. She set my world right and taught us all how to enjoy life and family. I am a better man because of her, and I cannot imagine where we would be now if she hadn't come along. She has truly become a Mom to them, and, like my sister's children, I hop they realize how lucky they are.
Its expected, you know, being on social media. Living in the time we are, NOT wishing everyone a happy holiday is considered poor etiquette. So we post, all the Merry Christmas's and Thank to to the Veteran's and Happy 4th', ain't America great? And it is. And Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or whatever social media sites may be out there become the vehicle by which we share our thoughts on whatever we are celebrating today.
Yesterday was no exception. All over the world people took to the internet to wish all the Mom's out there a Happy Mother's Day. Even I got into the act, sending good thoughts to all of the awesome Mom's I know. But Mother's Day is very bittersweet for me. While I celebrate Angelia and Tiffany being the amazing Mom's they didn't have to be, I miss my own Mom more than you can possibly imagine. I am grateful for the fact that I got to call her mom. I am one of Linda's kids, and that comes with its own special set of memories and traits that I am blessed to have been given. So yesterday morning, when the sad realization hit (as it does every year) that I cannot call her to thank her for being my Mom, I thought about all that she accomplished, and smiled because that remarkable woman would have told you that I was one of the most important things in the world to her. What an honor it is to be her son.
Day # 800. While I wish my Mom was here to celebrate Mother's Day with us, I look at Tiffany and Angelia and realize that she is never far away. Each of them remind me so much of her. From my sister being the glue that keeps us together to my wife being ever supportive, it is good to be me.
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