My Mom Has ESP

author/source: Kim Miles

Truly, I mean it. On more occasions than I can count, my mother has called me at the EXACT second she crosses my mind or I’m thinking that I need to call her. It’s eerie…in the very best way. Sometimes she’s calling because she has a question about how to use a piece of technology (those phone calls always skip the salutation and start immediately with “You know how on the iPhone…”) and sometimes she’s just calling to see how my day is going. Either way, when I hang up the phone, I always have the same thought: how lucky am I.

Mom-Has-ESP My mother is the definition of selfless. She puts every single person before herself. And not in a “martyr-syndrome” type of way but rather in an “I’ll drop a note in the mail to your friend who is hurting” or “I’ll drive this acquaintance to a doctor’s appointment” type of way. And when it comes to the reverse, she’s the first person to graciously decline any help because she doesn’t want to be a burden to anyone.

She will literally go out of her way and drive to your favorite store to pick up your favorite pastries, even when it was nowhere close to being on her route. She’s famous for “picking up a little something that reminded her of you” while she was on vacation and she’s always so genuinely excited to give it to you. She’s the first person to call you before a big event to wish you luck and the very first person to call you after the event to hear how it went. And she wants to hear every detail. I mean down to the last delicious drop.

Simply put, my mother is my biggest cheerleader. She’s my biggest fan. She believes I can achieve anything and her favorite thing to tell me is how proud she is of me and how much she loves me. While these things may sound routine coming from a mother, I assure you, they are not. I’ve had countless conversations with people who talk about their strained relationships with their mothers. I’ve heard of folks who go for months without speaking. I can’t even fathom that. Some might think it a little odd that I speak to my mother almost every day. Frankly, I think it’s odd not to. If I’m privileged enough to still have my mother, why wouldn’t I want to hear how her day is going or share a funny story that made me laugh and think of her? As we all get on in age, it gets me thinking about how there will come a day when I can’t speak to my mother whenever I want to and I refuse to take such a privilege for granted. So, as a friendly reminder, here are some simple rules for kids to live and love by:

-When the entry “MOM” comes up on your caller ID, take the phone call

-Every once in a while, ask your mom out on a “date”: take her shopping or to lunch or to a movie

-Always check in when your mother is under the weather. Think about how many times she took care of you over your lifetime.

-Remember that your mother is your mother. She will always worry, no matter how old you are. Let her worry. It’s her job.

-Exhibit a little more patience…however hard that proves to be

-Call your mom to simply say hi. Don’t just call your mother when you need something.

A couple of years ago, I gave my mother a little decorative sign that says, “If you weren’t my mother, I’d choose you as my friend.” I don’t really know how to sum it up any better than that.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to stop writing. My mom is calling. I bet she can tell that I’m writing about her right now. Must be that ESP.

My-Mom-Has-ESP-Kim-Miles