If Publisher’s Clearinghouse Had a Mother of the Year Contest…

If Publisher’s Clearinghouse had hosted this contest I bet they wouldn’t have messed up….but I did. Today I was cleaning out my spam box (Over 300 emails) and guess what I found? An entry that a reader sent in for NanaHood’s contest. Man, oh man, do I feel bad. Will someone just kick me please and get it over with?

Because it’s too late to actually be in the contest I am offering Kelley and her mom my most sincere apologies and if she will mail me a piece of humble pie, I will gladly eat it.

Kelley has her own blog at www.southlakesmom.blogspot.com

Here is her essay about her mom.

I’d like to tell you about my mom, Linda. She was an amazing mom when we were growing up. She always encouraged us to try new things and reach for the stars. As a military wife, she helped us adjust to every new situation with grace and aplomb – even though she had never left Arkansas before she married.

When we all had left home, graduated and married, she started being Super mom to another group of folks. She started a wheelchair tennis team in her town, helping those who found themselves in wheelchairs realize that life wasn’t over. She took the team all over the region, teaching able-bodied players and others about overcoming hurdles that life hands you. She never took a penny for any of the time, energy or resources she poured into this program.

But that wasn’t enough. She also coached Special Olympics tennis, and taught tennis as an after school program to economically disadvantaged kids, many of whom didn’t even speak English. Again, this was all volunteer.

But recently my mom told me she’s starting a new adventure (at age 74). In addition to continuing the other things, she has just started to work with wounded warriors who want to learn to play tennis. Some are in wheelchairs; others are like her Special Olympians. But all have served their country at their own risk, and she is excited about being able to help them heal.  She’s a coach, mentor, and ultimately, when she sees someone hurting, a mom.

It’s never been about the tennis. It has always been about what perseverance, exercise, and faith in something more than your own abilities could teach the athletes about life. Throughout her life, she taught me how to be a good mom by modeling those qualities while interacting with whoever God gave her to deal with.