I had an unusual Mother. She was a rebel when it wasn't COOL for a woman to be a rebel. She secretly climbed trees my grandfather was logging to she could "ride 'em down". She joined the Air Force when women who joined were all considered to be lesbians. The AF is where she met my Dad, they married, she became a housewife and mother, and they had 5 pretty darn awesome kids!

My Dad traveled a lot in the first FIFTEEN YEARS of their marriage. My Mom was a housekeeper, cook, nanny, doctor, chauffeur, homeroom mother, teacher's assistance, field trip chaperone... You name it; she did it. A small plumbing problem? Mom jerry-rigged it until Dad came home to do the rest.

We had foster siblings. Yes, SIBLINGS. These kids were my siblings. They called my parents Mom and Dad. They called us brothers and sisters. We were a unit. From 5 kids to 7, we were a team. Kids who came to our house very often called my Mother "Mom". Until the day she died, many of my friends and my siblings' friends called her "Mom". She was Mom to every child. She didn't care if she gave birth to you. She just CARED. Kids flocked to "Mom's house" because she let them use her kitchen. Other mothers were horrified. A group of 10 year old BOYS in the kitchen? Oh, the horrors!!! But Mom had a rule: You make the mess; you clean it up. Everyone complied. C'mon. How many kids got the run of a kitchen, baking cookies, and eating the entire batch with NO ADULT in the kitchen? Mom was okay with these because she taught every single one of her "kids" how to cook. Her bio kids were cooking (supervised) at age 6. By age 8, we could bake cookies without her in the kitchen (NO, we were NOT allowed to use the stove unless she was in the house). By age 12, we could make a multi-course meal for the entire family. We had mad skills!!

Suffice to say that had my Mom had a stepchild, she would have treated that child as she treated every child: with love and caring, a smile on her face, and a kiss for every boo-boo. Thank God she never had to deal with the horrific, spoiled, ENTITLED generation we have today.

I love you, Mom. And I miss you horribly.