Happy Mother’s Day!

How can you not adore a woman who looks at you like that?

My mom is a pip.  She’s opinionated and stubborn (although she wouldn’t agree to the stubborn part, at least).  She has a beautiful smile and a contagious laugh.  She adores her children ferociously. 

As her youngest, I had the good fortune to spend a lot of time alone with her.  When my sister Maureen went off to school, I moped.  The youngest of five, I was not happy about being alone.  I was so mopey, in fact, that my mom brought me to the doctor, who properly diagnosed my illness as "left behind-itis."  My mom’s cure was to allow me to bring in Sandy, the cat who roamed our neighborhood, and to play paper dolls with me.  She had a box of her dolls, and we loved to match the clothes to the movie stars she’d admired as a girl.

My mom has lived through a lot of rough things, but she’s got a spirit that doesn’t quit.  "If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be," is one of her mottoes, and it has served me well in helping me find serenity when my heart and head are in chaotic places.  She’s taught me to be tough and loyal, to treasure family and friends above anything else.   From her I learned to clean with zest and to take on adventures with an open mind.  Her kindness to the elderly and needy has been a model for me. 

I could go on and on, but all this is to say that I feel pretty lucky to have my mom in my life.  My love for her is different from that I feel for anyone else; it’s a wonderful thing.

And to all you moms reading, I hope you have a delightful mother’s day.