With Mother’s Day approaching this Sunday, I was remembering times with my Mom and thinking of all the things I loved. I will admit here that I was most fortunate as my Mom loved being a Mom and she was able to stay home while my brother and I were small so we got lots of quality time with her. One of the things that I loved was her reading to us and one of the series of books she read was Dr. Seuss. I think I could sum up the philosophy she tried to teach us from the themes of those books, as they cover everything from how to eat to how to imagine your dreams. There is even one that talks about how to know your mother!

I knew my mother by all the things she did for us, and with us. We may not have had green eggs and ham, but I do remember being told to try foods like green peppers and finding out they weren’t so bad after all. We may not have lived on Mulberry Street, but she showed us the way so that we could see fantastical things that others might not have when we were out walking. She taught us about words and places and history like she was our very own Cat in the Hat, and with her Christmas spirit she could have made the Grinch’s heart swell just like Suzy Lou Who if he had come to our house! So when we read “Are You My Mother?” and followed the little bird who fell from the nest, I was very secure. I wasn’t like him, not knowing how to recognize my Mom – there were lots of ways I knew to distinguish her from the crowd, and I was very proud that my Mom was who she was. I am glad that even though I have never had any two-legged kids that I remembered the things she taught me.

Thanks for making me a better person, Mom. You taught me about enjoying the art of cooking, and about enjoying the flowers even on a cloudy day, and you taught me to value myself and other people for their own unique skills. You always made us remember that just like Horton said, “A person’s a person, no matter how small.”

So, here’s to Moms out there – you come in all shapes and sizes and you teach us all kinds of things. We may not know right away the value of it all, but please remember that someday we will see the light and think of the time when you showed us the secret of how to enjoy being a grown up.