On a rainy morning in Mississippi, for one day there is little doubt what I’m going to write about. Mother’s Day is easy pickings and I’m not just going to let this go by. 

The low hanging fruit is of course the thanks to my mom for everything. Nearing 2 years of my dad’s passing, my mom has been learning again how to live. This is hard, but an unfortunate part of life. For this I wish her strength. 

I have made social posts before about how awesome and unique it is that I have been able to share triathlon with my mom. She started in 2007 at the age of 59. Over the next decade she stretched the distances and completed and qualified for the world Championships at both the half (70.3) and full (140.6) ironman distances and completed both

That’s awesome for sure, but that’s just a snapshot.  For 48 years she’s been my mom and let me assure you that this has been, and continues to be, more challenging than Ironman. She’s stood by me in all my choices, regardless of what she may think, and remains my number one fan.  

This isn’t a newsflash though. This is what moms do. This is why we can never repay them. It’s simply an impossibility in both time and sacrifice. So we do our best to thank them. To let them know we love them. To pass on those lessons to our kids. 

I watch in awe of my wife’s dedication to motherhood to our kids (and me) and see motherhood paid forward in real time. 

She is last in everything out of choice to put us first, seemingly unappreciated as she manages to not only put her needs last while the three of us waltz through life oblivious to how the water bills get paid or how food gets in the fridge. 

Those too, are just things and makes it sound like she’s a hotel manager.  That’s the thing. Moms work, keep most houses running, and love us unconditionally. Meanwhile, I’m not trusted with the laundry, mostly because I won’t do it right. 

So one day a year we laud then for their efforts. We take them to lunch. We buy them flowers that they now have to take care of.  We thank them and tell them we love them. 

And then we put a black t-shirt in the laundry with the white sheets. 

Thanks and love to my mom

Gini, wife Jeanne, and mother in law Cindy.  

#hugsandhi5s