Mom: Those who care enough to love and support you when things get complex. As one ages, one sees this person can be a woman or man, young or old, perhaps multiple people. A Mom nurtures you and guides you, and they are not your friend. They’re, Mom. They are quite tough on their shell and deeply strong in their marrow. When they’re looking for you in the yard, a Mom might call you by each and every name of your siblings, before she finally calls you by yours. Even, if you have brothers.  She is somebody whose heart melts, by way of her smile, when you walk through her kitchen door. A child learns, all you really have to do for Mom’s best happiness, is come home safe at the end of school day. Not arguing at bath time, that helps too.

Moms don’t settle for anything less than their children giving all activities they attempt, their best try. Failures? Those are lessons. Success, gets celebrated, and improved upon the next day. Assuring assistance, she is, was, and will be the one who fills her kid’s literal and figurative tool basket with a ruler, crayons, lunch money in the correct amount for the cashier (if “lunch day” met her approval). This basket could also include a carefully completed Scholastic Book Club order form, and a typewriter from K-Mart, on which to type college papers at a University, no less. A Mom is not shy with stamps and the US Postal Service. She sends perfectly posted, crisp envelopes to her children, covered with baby animal and flower stickers. If a $20.00 bill is included for incidentals in one’s life, the seal of the envelope gets taped down in three places.

Mom. The one you wish to call to help you celebrate an achievement or occasion, recall a cat story, “out” those who looked at you wrong and made fun of your outfit, or tell of the smell of a Mr. Lincoln red rose you just admired on a walk. To this day. She’s the one whose perfume you smell when you open your jewelry box, as her earrings are in there, sparkling like stars.

-Kathleen Cage

Photo: Courtesy of Sabine Scherrer, Sabine Scherrer Photography