"You need to straddle the bag, your left foot aimed at second and your right foot toward home plate. Then you take the throw from the catcher and apply the tag. Simple!"
Having arrived home from baseball practice, an excited nine year old boy stood in his mom's bedroom, demonstrating the proper way to cover third base. She listened with interest and asked clarifying questions as though she might be called on to fill in at that position some day.
More than once, a young boy heard his mother's tone turn slightly harsh when someone called to gossip. "I don't have the money to buy that poor girl new clothes, so we'll just have to accept her and her short skirts and be glad she's coming to church!" Or "better short hair than a long tongue Mrs. Blank". That lady never called to spread gossip again.
A sixteen year old boy arrived home after wrestling practice. There was no one there, just a homemade tuna casserole on the stove. It was still warm. He hadn't eaten anything substantial for two days in order to reach his wrestling weight class. He took a fork out of the drawer, peeled back the corner of the aluminum foil and took a small taste. Delicious. A few minutes later, he returned for another taste. A few minutes after that, he was seated on the sofa, casserole on his lap, out of control. When there was nothing left, he went to his room, put on his sweat suit and started working out, hoping to work off the casserole by the next morning's weigh-in.
Just then his mom returned home. "Where's my tuna casserole?" She looked at the empty stove, looked at her son's sweat suit and put two and two together. "Well, I made it to take to your sister but I can make her another one. I'm glad you liked it... did you really eat that whole casserole?"
A nineteen year old kid sat on the edge of his mom's bed. "I met this girl named Kathy. You know, if I were to design the perfect girl, it would be her. She's smart, talented, and beautiful and has a great sense of humor. Oh and she loves God. And did I mention that she's beautiful?"
His mother wanted to hear all about this young lady. "Where's she from? How did you meet her?" She explained that for years she had prayed for the girl her son would eventually marry. She prayed that God would guide the girl's steps, keep her from harm and give wisdom to her parents.
A thirty five year old man was thoroughly impressed when his sixty three year old mom decided to take piano lessons. He was thoroughly aggravated at her when she opted for a two hour bus trip to Charlottesville , rather than tell her kids she needed to go for a medical procedure.
Whether professionally as a registered nurse or voluntarily in a literacy program, an admiring son came to realize that his mom was happiest when she was pouring out her time and energy helping others.
At age thirty nine, a son saw his mom fulfill the last of her wedding vows, til death do us part', as she comforted her husband during his final battle with cancer. There may have been times when his dad had not fully appreciated what a special woman he had married. It is more likely that he just didn't know how to tell her. Maybe her son needs to let her know how thankful he is for her and how proud he is to call her mom.
