Sunday, May 09, 2010

one in three hundred million


My mother is not a force to mess with.


A recent anonymous commenter took me to task for planning to leave my "elderly mother" behind when I return to Mexico.


As some of you know, my mother not only reads this blog.  She is a regular contributor to the comments section.


I called her to ask if she had read the comments.  Her response?  "Who's calling me elderly."


Chronologically, my mother has passed into her early eighties.


But "elderly" is not one of the adjectives I would use to describe her.


Until last year, she was actively involved in her real estate business.  (She managed to avoid retirement until I had been retired for a year.)  Not to mention her political, social, and faith commitments.  She is probably busier than I ever was at the height of my career.


I can only imagine what the anonymous commenter would have thought had he come in contact with her.


After all, my mother is the woman who shocked the DAR with her stories of how my father is descended from the first person hanged for murder in Massachusetts Bay Colony.  She is never adverse to passing along a good tale.


As I sit here early on Sunday morning thinking about Mother's Day, it is not hard for me to think of a long list of reasons to make me proud to be Marilyn Cotton's son.


From her, I learned to read and write at a young age -- skills that have molded my life. 


She taught me the importance of faith -- why our belief in God always leads to offering our hearts and hands to our fellow humans: both friend and enemy.


The fundamentals of my political beliefs came directly from her.  I added the libertarian mix into our family's political tradition.  But she showed me the importance of protecting individual liberty.  And why it matters.


But, most of all, she has always been there to hear my concerns or to urge me on through countless school events and as my first fan during my brief political career.


I can never repay her for her love.  That is fortunate because she has never expected repayment.


The best I can do is to try to be a fraction of the person she is.


Happy Mother's Day, Mom.
 

Thanks.

12 comments:

Mike Nickell and Cynthia Johnson said...

Happy Mother's Day, Mrs. Cotton!

Anonymous said...

Happy Mother's Day Mrs. Cotton! From what I've learned from your son's (both of them) posts, you have done a fine job raising them. Happy Mother's Day to Moms everywhere.
Francisco

Unknown said...

I hope you and your mother have a blessed and peaceful day. Enjoy!

Anonymous said...

Steve, what a beautiful tribute to your mother! Give her a big hug for me cause I miss mine. Judy

Babs said...

What a tribute and what a Mother. It almost made me cry.

Nita said...

Your Mother sounds like my kind of person. I love the thought that we don't have to act old, even though we may be in our eighties. She is also in the DAR sisterhood as I am.
Happy Mother's to your "Mom".
Nita

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful tribute you showered on me. It was easy to be a mom when I had such wonderful sons.

Mom

Anonymous said...

My wonderful mother is 86 years old and lives by herself and drives her car and no one would ever guess she is "elderly". That is a word not in her vocabulary nor in ours. She has traveled into Mexico on five different occasions and had the time of her life. However, the last time she was in Mexico she got sick on the food. Because of the danger of contracting dengue fever I would not take her back into Mexico. There is a chance she will make a trip to Hawaii next year. I believe we all need to live life to the fullest until it is over! Today is all we have...the past is over... and the future is unknown.

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful tribute to your mother. She sounds like an amazing person. By connecting with you on your blogs she is sharing in your experiences while you are in Mexico. That is a wonderful way to include her in your travels. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY MRS. COTTON

Anonymous said...

What wonderful Mother's Day greetings from your blogging friends. Thank you, each and everyone. You have helped make it a marvelous day.

Mom

GlorV1 said...

Hi Steve. What a beautiful tribute to your Mother. Happy late Mother's Day Mrs. Cotton. Your mom definitely looks the like the "Business Woman." Have a great week Steve.

Steve Cotton said...

My mother is correct. You are all an amazing group.