Sunday’s Takeaway: It’s Never Too Late To Appreciate Mom

Mother’s Day is Sunday so it’s time to appreciate the opportunities we have because there is no off-season for moms.

The offseason is here and parents are watching while their Blessings celebrate graduation ceremonies, including the USC student-athletes. It’s just one more step in their child’s life before the young adult takes its next baby step on the way to whatever choice they make next.

Moms slept when no one was looking because it meant everyone else is tucked away safely in bed, but we knew Mama Bear was always awake, just in case.

Our moms knew what was best for us, just like our sports coaches who tried and develop and always had the last word with the answer that had no rebuttal. You know the phrase…“because I said so, that’s why!”

“Because I said so,” was her way of encouraging me to do the right thing.

That damn answer was so frustrating it had me running for the front door but not before slamming it because I was determined to find a better answer. I had a lot of energy to burn because that 20 bucks a week I wanted for my allowance when I turned 11 years old was out of the question.

But playing baseball wasn’t out of the question. Neither was soccer, or pretty much anything else I wanted to try. There was driving back and forth for practices a couple of times a week. And when my mom wasn’t available, another brother’s mother would handle the assignment because that’s what Mama Bears do!

But when the sports seasons were over, she had other activities keeping me busy.

Some I wasn’t enthusiastic about, nonetheless it helped round me out and taught me to appreciate what I have. You see, I wanted 20 bucks a week for picking up the dog poop and dragging the trash cans to the curb. Instead, Mom wanted me to help raise money for kids who weren’t as lucky as I was to have a mom who cared.

We might not always understand the message at the time that it’s being delivered, but it eventually makes sense. And it became part of your development into an adult. Kind of like the USC coaches who do things that their moms instilled into them.

You can’t fool Mom either. She knows how you think and what you’re thinking.

Moms also know when to push us so we’ll try harder and not give up.

But mom knew when to pull you in for that consoling hug when her cub was hurting. Those band-aids and kisses on the boo-boo, when we were young, were like rubbing dirt on a bruised knee.

And while broken bones and bruises mend, that type of comfort never helped when we got older. But our moms knew what to say when the heart hurts too. Like after losing a game, she said, “Well at least next time you’ll know what to do and what not to do in that situation.”

Most of our moms were always there when it was time to play the game on the field. This was her time to enjoy all the hard work she put in driving to practices and cooking meals or paying for cleats and baseball gear.

I can still remember one baseball practice. I had a brand-new aluminum bat and my friend wanted to try it out. He had a brand new wooden bat and I wanted to try it.–Guess who had to buy my friend a new wooden bat when it broke? Moms knew when to make us feel guilty too, “Remember that 20 bucks a week you want?”

My mom knew life wasn’t fair and she made sure I knew it too.

When I was 13 years old I was pretty good at soccer and was selected to play for a travel team that played throughout Southern California.–I also had a chance to travel to Europe that summer on a different travel team. As much as I wanted to continue my Summer of Soccer, it was out of the question. There was another more important step in my life, and it was preparing to become a man for my Bar Mitzvah. In Judaism, a Bar Mitzvah ceremony transitions a boy into a young man.

“But…maaaaaahhhhhhm, if dad says it’s okay, then why can’t I perform the ceremony next year?”

She knew what I was going to say before I said it, and right on cue–“Because I said so!”

As I stomped away into my bedroom, but not before slamming the door, I was taught another lesson.–Life isn’t fair and certain things are non-negotiable because family and tradition still matter.–Maybe that’s why I was drawn into the Trojan Family?

I never made it to Europe but I did become an adult. As an adult I did not need permission to get a haircut or my ear pierced. I don’t think it was the mohawk haircut as much as the color I chose when Mama Bear growled, “Just wait till Papa Bear gets home!”

My mom wanted support for her anger at the dinner table when my dad said, “what do you want me to do about it now–It’s his hair, besides, it will grow back.”

When she didn’t get the support she wanted, I learned another lesson. Do not giggle-snort when Mama Bear is angry because she controls my access to the phone and TV.

Moms and their children have a bond that’s stronger than any material known to Earth. I’ve never been blessed with kids of my own so I’m bereft of that joy.

Moms want their sons to grow up to become the best version of them. Our moms are educators, a coach, a chauffeur, a psychologist, a doctor, a cook, and a Gold Plate provider all wrapped up into one job.

This Mother’s Day while waiting for the off-season to end, stand up and applaud your mom like you’re at a Trojans game.

Do it like she did for us when we scored a goal or struck someone out on the field of play. Show your mom the type of enthusiastic appreciation you’d give when USC scores a touchdown or beats UCLA.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom.

I miss you yelling at me, both in joy, and when I needed another lesson taught.

In case you were wondering? The color of the mohawk was cardinal.

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