Happy Mother's Day

Mother’s Day has different meaning for different people. Telecommunication executives love the revenue from the single biggest day for long distance use. Florist's have their second greatest harvest just behind Valentine’s Day. Some singles cringe at the awkward day of continual reminders of their barren singleness. It’s like the whole world has become their nagging mother wanting grandchildren before she passes from this mortal toil. Other singles don’t care. Some remember a mother who has passed on. Some think on a mother they never had. So what is Mother’s Day to a fundamentalist?

I have seen it observed in a variety of ways. When I visited the home of a fundamentalist for the first time, it was on Mother’s Day. In that home it was celebrated as Christmas for mothers minus the tree. They would gather everyone in the house and moms would be given gifts by each of the children, usually handmade cards by the younger children and purchased gifts by the older or married children.

I have seen the home of the Minch. The Minch is to Mother’s Day what The Grinch is to Christmas. No Mother’s Day allowed.

I myself fall in the middle of this Mother’s Day observance spectrum. It drives me crazy searching for the envelope that goes with the perfect card I picked. I mean really, how hard should it be? Then I look at the half a dozen other guys scavenging with me through the scarce carcass of the card isle Saturday night at 10. I see a guy pick out a 99 cent bargain card and then grab a Hallmark envelope two sizes too big, the wrong shape and color and dash for the check out stand. This was the same genius who thought they really pulled a fast one on ol' Ma when they shoved all their dirty clothes and toys under the bed and called it clean.

At that moment, it hit me. . . of course Ma is going to realize her son was trying to pass off this 99 cent card as a Hallmark moment, but it says "l love you" just as well as the five dollar original. What is more, she loves him and always will. A mother knows her child better than any other in this world. She changed his diaper, she changed his bandages, and she changed his life.

So I like the idea of Mother's Day. We all have one and they should be appreciated. I certainly love and appreciate the two wonderful mothers of my children. The children make handmade cards which are presented. I get a card and a small gift for each wife and give it to them privately.

To all the mothers out there - HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

PS to my two wives

those were Hallmark cards . . . I promise