What moms are really thinking on Mother's Day

Hello, I am Debra’s husband. In honor of Mother’s Day, I am giving Debra the day off by writing her column.

Regular readers of this blog may wonder how much of the outrageousness she writes about is true. Well, living with her is a little like living in a sitcom with Laura Petrie. Funny thing is, if we used her escapades in a movie or TV show, they would say it’s too unrealistic to be believed.

Debra is the most open, kind wonderful person someone could ever meet. What you read is who she is. She has a remarkable gift to allow others to see her naked essence with all her flaws. No defensive barriers. No tweaking or manipulation to present better. The problem is that, due to her personality dysmorphia, her true talents as a mother may be masked to those who don’t really know her.

She is a fabulous mom. She is loving, caring, playful and supportive. She connects with my boys on their level, but still maintains their respect as a protector and mentor.

As you all know, nobody wears as many hats as a mother. It is unfair to ask one person to be good in as many incongruous areas as we ask a mother to be. Debra does this as well as anyone I know. Like all people she does have her weaker areas, usually in the more administrative tasks like scheduling and planning. But this is more than made up for in the relationships she has developed and fostered with our kids and the ways in which she guides them to discover their deeper meaning, purpose and passions.

My children are blessed to have such a wonderful, nontraditional mother. My older son, Levi, has her gift for language. Like her, he has a remarkable ability to tap into an emotional whirlwind of thoughts and ideas and transform them into a clear picture of words and phrases. The little one, Eli, has her artistic ability to separate from all else in the world, being intensely in the moment in whatever game his mind has created.

While there is a definite genetic component, these traits have developed due to her imprinting on them through examples and interactions. She is giving the boys the best gift a mother can give, the tools and confidence to become happy successful adults.

I think she is a truly amazing mother and all around person. I thank you for allowing me to share a little bit of my vision of Debra. To my extraordinary wife and all you underappreciated mothers, thank you so much for all you do. The world is a much better place due to you. Have a Happy Mother’s Day.