Happy Mother’s Day!!!

If you investigate me on this site, I think you’ll probably note that I have, in spite of myself, had a lot of adventures. Some really fun, some pretty crazy. Man, I should probably write about those sometime. But you if you check this title, you can probably guess, that is not the purpose of this blog.

Two people are more responsible for my adventuresome spirit than any others. And this is the day to honor one of them.

Obvious for everyone, we wouldn’t be here without our mothers. But I happened to luck into a very kind, encouraging, faithful, and intelligent one. I lived in a Wupatki National Park after I was born, because my mother was willing to travel across the country to find a job far outside of her planned skill set.

We lived in a fascinating home built by the civilian conservation corps and still in use today. One of my earliest memories is of watering the cottonwood tree in that yard. We’d built a small moat to catch the water, and I used to pretend it was a lake around a massive tree. She was there for that. I also remember a Halloween where we both dressed as Jack o’lanterns. She will debate me on that.

(obviously not our house, I couldn’t find the pic, but will have one for a future article about Wupatki.)

My mother started my love of dinosaurs by buying me sheets with dinosaurs on them. So, I guess you can blame her for any mention of pre-avians or rocks in the Junior Rangers Investigative Club Novels books. She encouraged my love of fiction, my writing, and my love of sci-fi. (not as apparent in the Junior Ranger’s Investigative Club Novels. But check the name of this website, and lookout for a book set in White Sands for proof.)

She went on to, nearly, get me an honorary Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine as I “helped” while she managed to juggle me and Vet School at the same time.

My mother has never been one to shirk responsibilities or challenges for the easier path. Instead, she has set an example of someone who will work hard and persevere through hardship and use the good times to make things better. I can cook, because of her. I know more than I every wanted about animal medicine, because of her. (I promptly ran the other science route when presented with the choice of living animals or fossils.) I was able to pursue some of my own dreams because of her support.

Even when it was probably challenging, she was encouraging. When I joined the Peace Corps, she not only drove me to the airport, she also made plans to bring my family and visit after a year. (Unfortunate flooding meant we didn’t get to see my home in Ha Sefako, but it was still a blast.) Every time I flew back to China, she drove me to the airport again. Even though, I know because I’m her son, (and like her in some ways) that even temporary goodbyes are hard.

Throughout this whole writing process, she’s been my first beta-reader, a helpful editor, my number one sounding board, and someone who has been on my side consistently. And she does stuff like this for each of her kids. While taking on more adventures of her own.

I accompanied her for 1 day of her hike along the 343 mile Sheltowee Trace Trail, which she did a segment at a time, braving snow, sleet, hail and everything else Ky wilderness throws at you.

And not just her kids, I have it on good authority that she makes a pretty great friend to.

I will not say she’s perfect, because no one is, and perfect is boring anyway, but she is consistently striving to improve herself, which is definitely a lesson I am still trying to learn. So much of what I was able to accomplish was thanks to her, so,

Thanks mom, and Happy Mother’s Day!!!