Call Your Mother

Me, Mom, and Nana in Tarpon Springs, Florida. Circa 1975.

In case you have forgotten, Sunday is Mother's Day. In spite of what Glenn Beck says, Mother's Day is not a Hallmark Holiday. Mother's Day officially became a holiday on May 8, 1914 with the signature of President Woodrow Wilson and thanks to the hard work of many women throughout history.

Personally, I'll be chilling with my mom, which is what you should be doing too, if you can. If you can't be with your mom, you should at least call her. Why? Because she suffered through 27 hours of labor without drugs and your teenage years. That's why.

You should also reach out to anyone who was like a mom to you at any point in your life. Why? Because she cared about you. She probably loved you like her own and bandaged up your bloody knees a time or three. You ate dinner at her table more times than anyone can count and ran away to her house when life got tough at your house. That's why.

In our lives, Dave and I had our mom and Nana and Joan Green. Joan was always around after school and Dave especially hung out at the Green's house, but I always knew the door was open to me as well. The Green's were our second family. Even after we grew up and moved away, Dave sent her Mother's Day cards. When I moved back to Arlington Heights, I loved knowing Joan as an adult. She went from being that second mom to me to being my friend. Joan passed away 2 1/2 years ago and I still miss her. Just the other day, I was thinking I wanted to get her opinion about something and started to walk down the street before remembering I couldn't.

This is our first Mother's Day without Nana. Mom and I will be with her (in spirit) when we sit in her pew at church and I'll have a brand new box of Kleenex in my lap. I can't imagine being anywhere else. Trust me, she'll be with us the whole day. I can't tell you the rest of our plans because it's a surprise for Mom, but trust me, it's good.

Moms are our first heroes. They love us unconditionally and help us pick up the pieces when we fall. They cheer us on, even when we have no chance of coming in first. They teach us how to fight our own battles. They never let us give up. They give us wings even when they'd rather keep us little forever.

In honor of moms, watch this terrific video Brad Meltzer made about his mom. If you don't get misty eyed, you may have no soul. And remember, call your mom.