Thanks, Mom

by Felicia Donovan

As we celebrate the goodness and giving spirit of mothers all over this weekend, I'd like to take a moment to thank my mother, Sharon, for many things.

I was not the easiest child to raise, being the baby of the lot. I learned to tell tales early on, so it's no coincidence that I ended up being a writer. In fact, some of my more memorable "tales" somehow manage to resurface with regularity at family gatherings.

There was the time I deliberately bit my own hand in an attempt to frame one of my sisters. My mother, a devout mystery fan, quickly deduced that the bite mark had two missing teeth. I just happened to be the only one with missing teeth at the time. Caught...

When I cleverly scribbled my sister's name on the furniture, Mom wondered why my sister would use a color crayon she knew she hated but I loved. Caught again...

Mom always said she had to raise each of us differently because we were all so unique - something I only came to appreciate once I became a mom.

Most of all, I remember my mother with children perched on each knee, snuggled in arms and tucked beside her as she read to us. She imbued a love of reading in all of us. As adults, we still can't get enough books.

My early attempts at writing were feeble, but you would have thought I'd written a Pulitzer the way my mother gushed over them. She, too, was a writer and I remember her excitement at seeing her name in print in a magazine for the first time.

Like my main character's mother in THE BLACK WIDOW AGENCY, my mom has an incredibly strong outlook on life. She treated not one, but two bouts of cancer as a minor inconvenience and an interruption to her plans to get to Foxwoods. No big deal. If luck be a lady, it's my mom. She's won grand prizes and free cars, but I feel like I'm the luckiest of all.

This weekend, as we celebrate all the Mom's out there, remember the very special women who've made a difference in your life. Sometimes they're not always biologically related, but if you know of a special lady who's always been there for you, take the time to thank her. I know I just did. Love you, Mom.