My mom's thoughts on Mother's Day

Mother's day in our house was never a big hurrah. Yeah, we'd make mom breakfast in bed (I'm sure she loved the soggy pancakes, burnt toast, and overcooked eggs - LOVED them!) and a homemade card with lots of hearts and glitter, but really, there were no big presents or feelings that we had to remain focused on Mom the ENTIRE DAY. This was because my mom refused to be the center of attention for that long.

My mom is a very unique personality, but everyone adores her for so many reasons. Here are a few:
- She will always, always feed whoever walks into her house at whatever time of day. You're stranded on the highway? Here, use the phone while I whip up some spaghetti and garlic bread. You're just stopping in around dinner time? Sit down, there's plenty for everyone; I'll just grab a few more plates.
- She's mom to the entire community. Never fail, you would walk into a basketball, wrestling, volleyball tournament there will be crockpots and ice chests with kids lined up to grab a homemade burrito. Or into a nursing home where she brings kids caroling, all decked out in Nativity themed costumes (read: her children suffered from public ridicule in order to bring Christmas cheer to old people).
- She's amazingly fun to be around. Any given moment my mom will have 18 plans and ideas about what everyone can do together that day; hiking, clam digging, pick up game of soccer, a bbq, etc. etc. And she makes it happen while she brings along the requisite crockpots, food boxes, and ice chests.
- She's an endless ball of energy. When I was growing up my mom was the first to get up and the last to go to bed. I remember not being able to sleep and waking up to go find my mom downstairs in her robe at four in the morning whipping up cinnamon rolls for thirty people to take to the beach for fishing that day.

There are so many others, but really, they all come down to one thing: my mom is a selfless servant. The real reason my mom is the best mom is because on Mother's Day, instead of expecting anything from us, she wrote an email to one of my brothers and I. Here's an excerpt:

"Happy Mother's Day to you both. I just wanted to tell you guys that Mother's Day to me is not the gifts but the fact that I get to reflect on having happy children that keep swinging the pick into the ice, inching upward, and never feeling quite at the top -- Except once in a while--a paycheck, a diploma, passing the bar, taking the gold, a clean house, etc....Have a beautiful day! Sleep, eat, enjoy the sun, clean up a little bit. Do something nice for someone!

Love, Mom"

So, take her advice. Enjoy your lives, enjoy the days, and go out and do something nice for others. You won't regret taking advice from her; I never have.