Happy Mother’s Day Moo-Moo. Happy Mother’s Day Jill. Happy Mother’s Day moms.
As I started to write today’s column I began thinking of moms of kids with diabetes. After two sentences I started over because what I was writing was not about diabetes. It was not just about moms who have a child with diabetes; it is about moms who have faced enormous odds.
A mom of a child with any illness and those complications, tragedy from a child in a car accident, losing a child, a mom who had a husband who lost a job, who lost a husband, became divorced; it is about any mom who has faced adversity.
So in essence, today, I’m writing about every mom. All of you moms have faced incredible odds over your collective lives.
And yet, you stay……’mom’.
Think about that for a moment. We all have had our share of problems in our lives. We have been at the end of our rope and when that happens; there has always been one person, for all of us, who always understood…….mom.
Moms give tough love when it’s needed and hugged when they had to hold a broken child. There is a lot to the word, mom, isn’t there? You may or may not have a partner, lover, husband, wife, girlfriend, boyfriend but we all had a mom.
I was honored to have three moms in my life; all of which make me write today because all three were the best at what they did. Faults? Oh sure, they had faults but as long as our faults far surpassed theirs; the scales were equal. And that surely includes me.
My Mom; or Moo-Moo as I call her and I have no idea when that started, is one of the strongest women I have ever known. She has faced much adversity in her life and those challenges will stay within the confines of our family; but she faces everything with dignity and grace. She is a fabulous listener and she adores her 23 grandchildren and ten (with eleven on the way) great-grandchildren. She loves to laugh and we have much in common with the arts and entertainment. She is also a wonderful writer.
My children’s mom, Jill; who also has had incredible adversity and has taught me the meaning of knowledge and more so about learning. Learn what we do not know. Investigate what we wish to know. And make decisions based on knowledge and not merely what we just think is the right answer. She is the most honest person I know, the most organized woman I have ever known, and is the role model our children need for which I am always grateful. My children are truly fortunate.
My Mother-in-law. And it is here where it gets tough for me. My mother-in-law passed away the day after Mother’s Day last year. I had the best mother-in-law a man could have ever wanted. She was the definition of class, had a fabulous sense of humor, taught us how to make people comfortable in your home, how to throw a party, and how to enjoy every ounce that life has to give you. She was an incredible grand-MAHHHHH. When the time was needed, our children made incredible sacrifices to make sure she died surrounded by family; she did so in our home. It was during that time that I truly understood the fiber and make-up of our children’s character—-and it amazed me. I miss her. We all do. We will feel her presence forever.
Moms. They are a unique blend of so many things and they make up a huge part of who we are and they have done so with an incredible amount of love…….well actually…….it is much more than love, isn’t it? It’s……It’s……”Momness”.
Happy Mothers Day to all. Make sure you let your mom know why she is so special to you; they hold the most important job on this earth.
I am a diabetes dad.
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