Happy Mother's Day, Pretty Lady

One of my favorite things to do when I was a kid was watch my mom get herself ready before an event. I used to sit perched on the lid of the toilet, and I’d watch intently as she put on her makeup and styled her hair. The makeup, the curlers, the hairspray – it was all a mystery to me. (And, since I’m not much of a makeup guru now, it still is!) Once when she was getting ready for a Christmas party, she turned to me and asked with a smile, “Who’s going to be the prettiest mom there?” Without flinching, I answered, “Pam Johnson!” I was too young to be trying to make a joke; I just answered the question honestly, and I happened to think of our neighbor, Pam. My mom just laughed. She never held it against me (even though the answer she was looking for was more along the lines of “You, mom!”). She still enjoys telling this story to this day, always adding, “Well, Pam Johnson is a very striking woman, so I can see why she said that.” Over the years, I’ve gotten to see many other sides of my mom. Yes, she still gets dressed up and goes to events. But, she’s also the lady that brought grocery bags of food over to her friend that just lost her son. She’s the one who sent me too many care packages to count when I was deployed. And she’s the person who never hesitates to say a comforting or encouraging word to someone who needs it. She’s truly beautiful inside and out. Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there. And I hope the rest of you won’t be offended when I say that my mom will be the prettiest lady on Sunday.