My Mom and Other Super Heros
Mom and Kierstin My mom's birthday is today. She is a 61 year old mother of three, grandmother of five. She lives with my stepfather, Dale (okay, they are not actually married but a marriage certificate is not what makes you married or related...in my heart, he is my stepfather). She is a hard-working, loving, funny and compassionate woman. She is my mother and I don't toss the word around lightly. She taught me the most important lessons of my life - two of them are how to be a mother (nothing is more valuable to me than this) and how to survive (this lesson has been put to the test and here I am). Three years ago, Liz and I spoke with my Mom about 7:30 pm to wish her a Happy Birthday. She was grateful for the call and in a good mood and we had a nice talk. When the phone at work rang the next morning and the receptionist told me it was my sister, I was sure she was going to tell me she was in labor. My sister, Rose, was expecting her second child. Her voice was...