My Mothers Three

So it's Mother's Day. What a great day. My wife likes to have Mother's Day Weekend. This pretty much means I spend the entire weekend taking care of the children, cooking food for her and tending to her every whim(did I miss it somewhere that she's not my wife but my Mom?). But I take care of her this weekend because she is a great Mom to my children and that fact alone makes me love her all the more! Besides it's alot easier these days than when the children were babies and I had to change every diaper and take care of every feeding for an entire weekend. Now that was over and above the call of husbandry duty, but I still performed to my best because respecting the Mother isn't hard to accomplish.

On Mother's Day every year I think of 3 very influential women in my life who have helped me be the man I am today. Making the statement, the man I am today is so very important to me because I feel I am ever formulating it. Even at 44 I don't feel I have learned all the key factors that define the man I am today yet. But I'm working on it!

Obviously, my Mom is the first. She is a saint and as I have said often her seat in heaven is reserved for her for the shit I put her through in raising me. There aren't words enough to describe her, let alone her love and caring for me. She has always been there for me. She always knows when I need a hug, when I need a slap in the face or when I just need a shoulder to lean on. She's an amazing woman and I wish people I know could have a Mom as great as mine. There is literally not a soul on this earth I love more than her and she's knows it. That's why we can talk about anything. I never keep thoughts from her. I tell her exactly how I feel and she does the same to me. Her love and caring has made me the man I am today and for that I am forever indebted to her.....Thanks Mom, you rule!

Next is my wife. For 10 years we tried to have a baby. With the help of technology and luck we have two beautiful children. When I see this woman with my children sometimes I just want to weep. I don't think I could find a better person to not only be the mother of my children but also be a terrific wife to a guy like me. She is remarkable. By the way, my own mother tells me often how lucky I am to have found a woman like my wife.....this works for me(personally I think my wife is the first woman I have ever been with that my Mom has liked. But give it some thought, who wouldn't be picky when your youngest brings someone home).

The third woman in my life that I always think about on Mother's Day is my oldest sister, Judy. She's a great person. I love her to death. We all have family nuances. Ours was no different. I was the youngest of 4. Judy was the oldest. This was no easy task. She broke my parents in...if you will. By the time life got around to me, my folks had been through so much, raising me was all a matter of experience(thanks in large part to Judy).

You see, being the youngest I had to be watched often. This job fell to Judy. She watched over me like no one else in my life. She literally protected me. I can't speak for my other siblings but as far as I'm concerned she watched over all of us. I can say right now I am a better person today because my sister Judy wasn't afraid to kick my ass when I was being an ass! And she did. She still does.

When I got older, Judy was my best friend. I told her everything. She told me everything. We never had inhibitions or worries what the other thought, we always just knew we were a team. She has always been the one person I can agree or disagree with and not have to worry about the consequences.

I can remember one time talking with her on her porch when I had learned she was moving to Texas to marry the man she was living with because he got a job there. My whole family was upset she was going to leave the state and be so far away. I asked her, "Is this what you really want? Is this the man you want to marry?"

She said to me, "I know he is because he reminds me of you so much!"

Are you kidding? This woman who I look up to so much told me this. I was in awe.

My big sister doesn't have any children. She's been married to the same man for 20 something years and they are happy. I know what it's like to try for years and get lucky but I don't know what it's like to try for years and not get lucky.

Life is unfair in so many ways. My big sister is the best nurturing human I know. She would be the greatest Mom. I know because of how she had a hand in raising me. In the meantime she spoils the crap out of my children and my other sister's children and I can tell you my kids love her as much as I do and I know that makes her feel good inside.

I hope Judy looks at me the same way I look at my children, with pride because she has every right to. She's one of my best friends but she also helped raise me to be the man I am today.