A Tribute to Mom

I believe that one day when I turn on the computer, go to my favorites and click on the link to The New Life blog , one day I will have several hundred followers. I believe this not because I am positive, not because it will most likely happen, not because I am a fabulous and gifted writer, I believe this because my mother, the most avid and probably only reader of my blog says so.

I may complain about many things in life and often do, but one thing I could never complain about are my parents, but for the purpose of today's post I will concentrate on my mother.

Mothers come in all psychological shapes and sizes. There are the ones that hate the boyfriends you love, and love the boyfriends you hate, the ones that love and admire your style of dress and the ones that criticise the latest of chic trends, the ones that whatever you do is ok, because you are the most magnificent and gifted child on earth and the ones that whatever you do is wrong; because you are incapable of making an intelligent decision; and then there are the ones that fall somewhere in the middle, the ones that admit they are just trying to be the best parent they can.

In the beginning it was hard. I was an only child who went to a private school and was the youngest and smallest in my class. Having one of those birthdays that falls at the end of the year I started school early and had a difficult time with reading and math. I quickly fell behind and suffered the feelings of inadequacy at an early age; but my mother, always on top of my every move, never missing a moment, noticed my failings and escorted me from teacher, to tutor, to counselor, to therapist to whoever would listen and help. When I felt inadequate due to poor grades, she would send me to my father for review of English and she would work on math; she'd say - just keep trying. If you can't do anything else in life, you can keep trying ~ look at Abraham Lincoln she would say. When I worried I was so small and skinny she would say good things come in small packages.

Recently I watched the funeral of Ted Kennedy and was struck by the story his son told of the time his father left money for a guest room attendant in a hotel room. His son, paraphrasing Kennedy's words said you have to tend to allot of rooms to make a living, they need a little extra.Well my mother not necessarily the biggest fan of Ted Kennedy, and a self-proclaimed Republican, but who I secretly believe to be a closeted and disguised Democrat has always exemplified this principal. Whether it be a waitron at a restaurant, or a boyfriend with a problem, or a criminal with a horrid past, or a lost or abused animal, everyone with my mother gets at least one chance and maybe a second and possibly even a third. There is rarely a judgement passed and always a little extra kindness, consideration and listening to go around, along with some good old fashioned motherly advice.

Now don't get me wrong not every one is perfect and we all make mistakes and have disagreements, but if you have a problem and need to wake someone up at 3 or 4 in the morning to discuss it, that person would be my mother. There has never been a time, in all of my years of life on this planet, that I could not wake my mother, at whatever time of the day or night and know unequivocally that she would not only listen to me, but would be interested in what I had to say. Now honestly, how many people do you know like that . We may disagree on politics, or religion, or the confeit on a dinner plate, but she is always willing to listen, debate and learn and above all she is always willing to lend a helping hand!

Now that I have been unemployed for four months and dilligently writing the blog, photoing as I go, I know that with each day that passes, there will be my mother reading each entry, looking at each photo, telling me what a wonderful writer and photographer I am. I try to convince her the only reason she thinks this is because she is my mother, but she insists that I cannot get discouraged, and again, as so many times before, she says look at Abraham Lincoln. When I say I think I will put a paypal account on the blog and I will pay each reader a $1 to read a post she says, the readers will come.

So in ending todays post I just want to say, you only get one set of parents, so whatever you do feed them, water them, drink with them, enjoy them and most of all listen to them; sometimes, actually often times those old folks just may save your sanity!

This one's for you mom! :o)