Mother’s Day is one of the most treasured holidays of the year.  This is because without mom, our lives would be void.  This is not to say that dads are not equally important, but I want to save that discussion for June 20.

My experience with my mom is one of great memories.  She has been my sister’s, my brother’s and my greatest supporter.  At a very young age, I can remember my mom explaining to us the importance of family and demonstrating that with her acts of kindness and love.  She wanted us to understand that each of us were different individuals with our own strengths and weaknesses. She has never shown any favoritism in that she gives each of us the same amount of love.

She earned her Associate Degree when the three of us were grown with our own children, showing us was that it is never too late to reach for our goals.

As an artist she felt that each of us needed an outlet to channel our creativity.  She has taken us to the many museums and art shows here in New York City.  My favorite was the show that takes place in the Greenwich Village.  We would go there every year around Labor Day and walk for hours (or it seemed so) enjoying the various types of art that were on display.  It was during this time that I learned from her how to express what I did or did not like. She has never been critical of how we viewed the art. We didn’t have to see it her way.  I enjoyed going to that show so much that I would travel from Cleveland (I lived there for 13 years) just so I could go there with her.

My mom started a tradition where we have to say “I Love You” to each other whenever we ended a phone conversation or parted ways.  It is my opinion that she never wanted any disagreements to form a wedge between any of us.

In March, 2009 my mom had a stroke and we weren’t sure whether she was going to make it.  She stayed in Jamaica Hospital (Jamaica, NY) for over a month.  It was very difficult to watch someone who was so vibrant and so full of life to lie in a hospital bed unconscious with a feeding tube.  Thank God for all those hands (the doctors and nurses) because I feel it was because of them that she was able to recover and come home.  She is doing much better (not 100%) and we feel very blessed that we can still enjoy her.

Stop What You Are Doing!!!  Call or go see your mom. Tell her how much you love her and wish her a HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY.

I LOVE BEING A DAD!!