Mother's Day Surprise

So I was born on Mother’s Day 1953. Over the years my actual birthday has fallen on Mom’s Day but even when it doesn’t, my mother always recounts ‘the day I was born’.

As we were getting ready for her visit yesterday, I was chuckling to myself knowing that all in attendance would hear about that very special ‘Gift’ (me), she received on Mother’s Day 56 years ago. Stories about sneaking my Grandparents in through a side door and where I received my name, etc.

I don’t know why but I was kind of ‘giddy’ as I sat down next to Mom for brunch anticipating the recounting of my birth. What came out of her mouth really surprised me. It had nothing to do with the day I was born. It went something like this:

‘You know Dad and I have been having some work done around our house by the local handyman. His name is Jimmy and he remembers Russell growing up in Secaucus.

Jimmy told us a story yesterday about how him and his friends were hanging out down the Park. A bunch of bullies had come by and were picking on Jim and his friends- cussin them out and shoving them around.

A that point Russell arrived and BEAT UP THE BULLIES. Jimmy and his friends were very thankful and he would never forget how Russell had saved them.’

There followed an awkward silence around the Mother’s Day brunch table. I glanced around the table to see the reaction of my children as well as my wife. My mother-in-law was silent as was my sister-in-law. My daughter’s fiancé didn’t know what to make of it. And my father had some sort of proud grin on his face (either that or he was really enjoying the quiche).

Then all I could blurt out in my Mom’s direction was ‘WHAT?’

Mom looked around and said, ‘No, this was not a bad thing. It was a good thing. Russell was the Defender of the Weak. He was like that as a kid’.

The silence passed and my kids just looked at each other like- ‘hmmm… something else we learned about Pop today’.

Funnier yet is that I really don’t remember it ever happening.

We all have opportunities every day to be ‘Defenders of the Weak’ or we can be bullies. I’m not encouraging physical violence BUT there are many ways to STAND for what’s right.

Something else to think about—my dog, Rev told me this the other day. ‘The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue.’

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As my friend David DeNotaris always says, “Make it a Great Day”...bye4now...

Your friend in Christ,
Russell Jones