HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! This Mother's Day got me to thinking about the fact that I am the same age as my mom was when she passed away. My mom and I had a tumultuous relationship. As Richter says, it was a love / hate relationship. I am nothing like my mother yet I am just like her. I understand her more now than I did in my younger days. I guess that is to be expected. Looking back, my mother probably had more courage than most, but if not actual courage, at least more bravado. She was a woman who would tell it like it was. Not necessarily nice, but most times kind. I think our society believes nice and kind are interchangeable, whereas I see being nice as a blurry, sugarcoated version of the truth. So sugarcoated, in fact, that sometimes you cannot find the truth. Kind is unabashed, clear coated honesty that may be very harsh to hear, but in the long run, better for you to know than not know. One memory that I recently had an “aha” moment about was when I was 8 years ol...
