All-In - It's a Mom Thing

At Kaylynn's and Donnie's wedding

You know when you’re playing Marco Polo and the It person yells “all in!” to catch anybody cheating by being on the pool deck and running along it? This is not about that. What I’m talking about is a mom thing.

You know how in a poker game a person pushes all his chips in on a bet and says, “All in”? You know, the move that James Holzhauer has popularized during his amazing run during Jeopardy? This is not that, it’s a mom thing I’m thinking of.

All-in, Betty White style, is much more than a move during a backyard pool game in the summer designed to catch ‘innovative’ opponents. It is so much more than betting all your chips where you win the big pot or walk away from the game to raise a stake for the next poker night.

My mom was completely invested in me from the moment I was conceived. She gave over her body so I could have a life. Mom gave up a career in the U. S. Navy so she could have me and later my sisters. She made sure I ate, drank, and was clean. She was there when I rolled over the first time, crawled, walked, ran, and sank my last competitive basket. She learned on the fly and adapted her tendencies to be better at the mom thing.

Mom put off having career until her kids were well on their way and even then, it was a career that fit and enhanced her passion of doing the mom thing rather than squeezing mom duties into her career when she could. She got me to practices and games, church, friends’ parties, and got me to drive a stick shift the first time. Even when I drove myself to college games she’d be there when there was little chance I’d come in off the bench.

She is my biggest fan and always has been. Without exception, she is the biggest fan of anything I write. Don’t get me wrong here; if what I wrote was wrong, she’d tell me to get it right. Writing this for her is little repayment for her being all-in. The best repayment I can think of is to tell her I love her with a big hug. I have just such a hug in reserve for her the next time I am up in Oregon, a virtual hug will have to hold its place and I’m embracing her as I write this.

I love you mom. Thanks for being the embodiment of the mom thing and being all-in. Your Son

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