Moms Rock!

November 28th is my mother’s birthday. It is a day that I often forget due to it being wedged between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I often forget it not because my mother is a forgettable person but simply because I am a forgetful person. This year I remembered it (thanks for the reminder Dad) and took my mother out for breakfast. We ate at a local family run place. The kind of place that always has plenty of coffee, serves Chicken and Dumplin’s on Wednesdays, and serves breakfast any time of day. As I sat listening to my mother speak about the family and people of interest it dawned on me just how remarkable a woman my mother really is and just as importantly how being her son is really a good gig…

My mother as luck would have it married a man without any money and few prospects which means she saw my father for the decent man he is and for the good life the two of them would build together. She loves my father deeply and growing up in my house it was always evident. Again as luck would have it she had two children… both boys. So she was forced to live with three lunatic men. I obviously never knew my father when he was a kid but I suspect some of my behavior comes honestly through him. My mother is a fun loving woman who enjoys dancing, laughing and having a good time. But even as a child my Mom had always been a “line walker”, studied in school, got good grades, kept her curfew, etc… shit it wasn’t until just a couple of years ago that she got her first speeding ticket.

So here is my “line walking” mother raising a twisted, deviant soul like myself… with that said my mother is one of the very few people who truly accepts me for me. A classic example of this occurred the day I graduated high school. Our principal gave this speech where he talked about hope, and the future, and love, and how we are all one big family. The principal stood center stage and he shook the graduates’ hands as they walked by after receiving our diplomas. As he went to shake my hand I pulled him close to me and kissed him followed by the words; “I love you too, man!” It was not a planned act… like most things in my life the action arose out of impulse. People laughed and the principal smiled and blushed a little…

When I returned home my brother was waiting for me in the front yard. He told me not to go in the house and mention that I had kissed the principal. He told me that when I had done that my father had groaned, flushed with anger, and applied the white knuckled death grip to the top rail of the fence he was standing behind. I paused a moment picturing that in my mind then I asked; “What did Mom say?” My brother said; “She was just rubbing Dad’s back and saying its ok… people are laughing… it was only a kiss…at least he didn’t expose himself…” Good Ole’ MOM!!! My Dad EXPECTED me to walk across the stage like everyone else without incident. My Mom HOPED that whatever I did wouldn’t involve an indecent exposure charge. That is true love!!!

There were times in my life when she no doubt was scared shitless over the stuff I was doing. But she has never judged me and has allowed to live my life as I see fit. I love her for that.

Tags: Chicken and Dumplin's, diplomas, expose myself, high school, line walking, mother's birthday, principal, speeding ticket