I guess I’m like everyone else; I think I’ve got the best Mom in the world. But I have good cause to think this way—she is truly the most sincere, caring, loving, and nurturing person that I know. Now, I count myself as a pretty unemotional guy, but there was one poignant moment with my Mom that really got to me. It occurred when I left home to go to college.
As Mom helped me pack those last few days, made sure all my shirts were perfectly ironed, gave me tips on basic cooking techniques, and instructions on how not to mix my colored and white laundry, she seemed pretty serene about the whole moving thing. But then on D-day, after the car was completely packed and I hugged everybody and said goodbye, I glanced back at the house to wave to my parents and little brother standing on the front porch. Mom could hold it back no longer and she burst into tears, trying hard not to let me see her. I did. It dawned on me at that moment how special my Mom was to me, and how precious she made “home” for our family. I’ve grown up a lot since that day, but I’ve never quit learning about life, love, and family from the greatest teacher I ever had, my Mom.