Happy Mother's Day!

I've had an event filled weekend, thus the lack of blogging. I hope that my USA mommy friends had a great day today. I certainly did. We planned on having a low key lunch at Lou Malanti's with my sister & my nephew who are moving to North Carolina at the end of the month - when a Chicagoan is moving away, one has to stock up on pizza & other goodies. Well when we got to her apartment our dad was there! He surprised us all by flying in. My daughter was super surprised and happy, even if she didn't show it at first.

ACORN is asking people to remember mom today and here is my recollection:

First off this is the 5th Mother's Day I've spent without my mother. Technically she was still alive today 5 years ago, but on life support while I walked to receive my graduate degree sporting a 6-month baby bump. Thus Mother's Day is a whirlwind of emotions that I am still sorting out. I owe a lot of who I am to that woman who officially left this world on May 18, 2003.

My most vivid memory of her voting is in 1992. I was super angry that I wasn't yet old enough to vote in the election. Just a few weeks kept me from being able to register! So I was eager to hear from my mom after she voted. "Of course, I voted for Clinton! And there was this woman who didn't speak much English having trouble with the ballot. She was waiting to go vote when I was leaving. She asked me for help and I told her, 'Just for the Democrats. They'll help us.'"

My mom instilled the idea, the idealism in fact, that if we just speak up, things will change. Perhaps not over night, but eventually justice will come to those who need it and fight for it. This was a woman who became PTA president for our elementary school when the administration wasn't giving parents the answers she thought we all needed. Instead of just screaming & complaining about things, she ran for office with a few friends. They all won! I do think on of her proudest moments was when my husband ran and won for a Local School Council seat.

So my mom voting? Yeah, she did it. And she taught me to do it, be educated about it, and of course, tell others about it. Thanks Mom.

Read others ACORN stories.

Other Mother's Day Stories:

• Give Women What They Want and Need
• Mother's Day, Observed
• My Mom Can Shoot
  
• Please note this story compared to the WNBA has players take make-up class story. If the WNBA wanted to really wanted to celebrate their womanhood, they would play up the mothers in the league plus the family friendly atmosphere instead of stooping to the bottom rung of society and dolling up their players. Are we to expect skirts ala the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League too?
• RH Reality Check's Mother's Day Special
• Republicans Vote Against Moms; No Word Yet on Puppies, Kittens
• Bitch Ph.D. (also responsible for the link above)
• A chat with Joan Blades
  

Photo from Yikes!