Long Overdue

For Father's Day back in June, I wrote a blogpost dedicated to my Father. A month before that, Mother's Day came and went with no fanfare on my blog. Then, as if an intentional slap in the face, her birthday came and went at the end of the month of June with, again, no fanfare. So today I write a belated post dedicated to my mom.

First off, I should make it public that my mother is the most intelligent woman I know. She is very schooled in religious theology (two degrees and an ordained minister) and never pushes her religious views on anyone in the way so many other theological scholars who I have crossed paths with have in the past. Nine years of Catholic schools impose a good bit of Christian, Biblical propaganda on a child. So I have a lot of respect for what she says even as I drift away from Christianity.

I am not the only one who has such high regard for her knowledge. Every time I would visit her church I would be inundated with people showering her with praise. Her effect on the parishioners (is that a Catholic word or does it fit here?) was positive, impacting and broad. That was always very obvious. Just the other day I heard she has quite a following on the Internet with her writings. It is to the point that she is overwhelmed by the response.

This leads me to the next point. I have to give her credit for leading me into education as a profession. To be more specific, education in the city. I never intended to teach because I felt it was an easy job. I didn't pick the career to have summers off, although I am a huge fan of that aspect. I never planned to teach in the suburbs, although now they look awfully enticing. My original intention to go into teaching as opposed to business or journalism or broadcasting was because I wanted to make a true, important, positive difference. My mother was the one who suggested teaching as the most effective way to do this. Then she left it at that.

There is a lot of my mom in me. The urge to "save the world" is just one trait. Even my passionate, intense allegiance to my teams and overreacting to the games come from her. One of my earliest memories of spectating sports is hearing my mom lose her mind over the Browns losing. She was terribly upset and ripped a poster to pieces over it. It may have been the Ahmad Rashad catch when he was with the Vikings in the early 80s. But I have this faint memory that it was against the Eagles so I am not sure. Maybe those were two separate events. But regardless, this same event was replicated several years later as my dad, brother and I returned home from John Carroll University where she was earning her Master's degree at the time, after hearing Micheal Jordan hit "The Shot" to begin a nightmarish string of playoff knockouts from the Bulls. My knee jerk response? Rip the Micheal Jordan poster my "girlfriend" gave to me into tiny pieces!?? Like mother, like son I suppose.

I find myself following in her footsteps with her passionate idealism as well. She has numerous causes she believes in like human rights regardless of color, ethnicity, social economic status, sexual preference, gender, religion and more. Although I may not go as far in her direction, I respect her stance on the use of Chief Wahoo on Cleveland Indian merchandise. That is one example of many. She will stand up for what she believes in and I admire her for that.

My mother is also very cognisant of her children's feelings and needs. She is quick to help almost to a fault. She has bailed me out of potential financial problems, she has come down to Columbus to support in times of need, she has put aside her own plans to help with her granddaughter, she has bent over backwards to create or provide enjoyable experiences in numerous different ways by donating dollars, time, references, babysitting, advice or ideas. She is a very giving, generous person. A perfect example is how she spent her birthday this year....with my family helping us through a time of need. She put us before herself.

My mom has had to deal with her own challenges in life and has been able to do so with such grace. Just like this blog, people pass her over by in favor of someone or something else. But she keeps on trucking. She provides a great example of how one proceeds through their life trying to do things the right way. I find myself trying very hard to do the next right thing and this comes from my mother.

She is very supportive of my endeavors and ideas like this blog for example. A dedicated reader, she is always so positive about everything I write and how I write it. This is consistent with how she is towards almost everything I do or say. Many times I feel as though it is over the top and I wonder when reality is going to kick in and I get her true point of view, but I suppose this is what makes her so good. If you are going to err on the side of something with your kids, why not err on the side of being too positive instead of too negative. Or not positive enough.

So mom......here's to you! Happy Mother's Day and Happy Birthday!