My mom is better than your mom...

by Brendon

Anyone who begs to differ can meet me at the tire swing at recess.

Ok, so maybe the tire swings would be full if such a challenge were to happen, but isn't that how it's supposed to be? I mean after all, who doesn't think their mom is the best? I know I sure do. So here's my 2009 Mother's Day Tribute to the best mother a balding middle-aged man could ever ask for.

S  is for Strong. A few years ago mom came to town to visit and we decided it would be nice for us to take grandma to the zoo. We had forgotten that she was having some issues with her foot, and she could not go long before walking became uncomfortable to say the least and probably even painful at times. We'd never know, becuase she'd never tell us. After walking the entire zoo without a complaint, we headed home. And what did we do for dinner?  In hindsight we probably should have treated her to a nice restaraunt where she could rest, but instead I opened my big mouth and mentioned how nice it would be to have her make her famous enchiladas. The next hour or two were spent on her feet teaching her grand-children how to make corn tortillas by hand and how to make the enchiladas. Her strength and endurance amazes me. Perhaps that's why I never challenged her to arm wrestle. I saw my older brother loose to her time after time, but I always knew who was stronger.

U  is for Understanding. Have you ever been yelled at by your mom? Not me. Granted, I was the most well behaved kid ever, but I don't ever recall seeing or hearing her yell at one of my siblings either. Never. Did we drive her crazy? Oh yeah. Did we ever deserve it? Most absolutely. Did she ever do it? My siblings may know of a time that I don't, but surely they wouldn't post it on Mother's Day. (There was one incident that involved a broom stick through a door, but she was not the one who did it.) In my mind she was and is always understanding. She's been there, done that, felt that way and understands why things like that happen, and she also understands enough about the consequences of rash decisions to know that overreacting now will cause more problems than the original one. That last sentence may be hard to understand...unless you're my mom.

P  is for Proper. Ok, if you asked her, she'd deny it 'til the cows come home, but some of us know my mom as "Proper Emma." There's a story behind how that nickname came about, but sufficeth to say, any woman who can take me and Tyson and mold us into something that could be perceived as having come from a somewhat "proper" upbringing must have something going for her. Sorry Leigh, but it's too late to change your mind now!

E  is for Everybody's Mom. Ask my mother how many kids she has, and unlike most moms who would quickly rattle off the amount of kids they have acutally given birth to, she would probably stop and start counting in her head for a short while and then ask you, "What kind of kids?" She'd then proceed to tell you about the six she gave birth to, the two special needs ones she took in as her own, her six sons and daughters-in-law who she considers her own, and then there's the ones she did daycare for, and of course Stebo and Hardy and Grant and Monica and.....  You'd have to stop her at some point. And this is not to say those who she did not actually give birth to do not have great mothers themselves, but in her house she's Mom to everyone who will accept her as such. An "equal opportunity" mother in the truest sense. Everyone is welcome.

R  is for Rich. I am sure she's laughing at this one right now since she's probably thinking I am referring to money. Well, I'm not. Life is so rich around mom. Just hang out with her for an hour and you'll see what I mean. There's never a boring moment and never a dull experience. Sure, you may not get exactly what you are expecting, but in the end you'll have a memory that will last you a lifetime. She's always trying something new that will enrich the lives of those that surround her. I really miss that a lot, being thousands of miles away. It's nice to chat on the phone or via webcam, but to enjoy her fulness requires her presence. I am glad I was able to have so much of her "presence" growing up. 

So there you have it. My mom is better than your mom, because my mom is SUPER mom. 

Still want to meet out by the tire swing? You know who my mom is, right?

Yeah, that's what I thought.

Happy Mother's Day. Love you, Mom.