The SewingMachineMom; I Call Her Mo

In December of 1967 I was born. My Mom became a Mom for the first time. She was young, early 20's. She married a guy from Detroit. She's still married to him today.

Sometime in my youth, probably middle school age, my brother and I started calling her Mo. All of our friends had nicknames. Since she was a Mom and our best friend, we tabbed her with one. Mo.

Despite strapping me to some kind of little chair, and making me were a paper bag as a hat, I survived.

My Dad was and is a sports fanatic. He got us signed up for little league as soon as we were eligible. During the '70's he worked for a big corporation, and was frequently on the road. That meant the Mo would be responsible for getting her boys to games and practices. Every other year, my brother and I were on the same team. Her job was 'easy'  those years. On the odd year, she would drive me to one park, and my brother to another. I don't think we ever missed a practice. There was this one time, at a weekend tournament, we were playing our nemesis (a little league team from Durand) who we had never beat. Mo and the other Moms (Dads too) were cheering us on from the side after laundering our uni's, housing us at a motel, and feeding us all weekend. After using all our pitchers to get to the championship game, we pulled the upset using our starting catcher on the mound. The energy was amazing.We had beat our rivals.

Mo spent many cold, wet, snowy days at the football field too. Sometimes, she would watch from the car, but she was there.

My Dad and Mo own a sewing machine store. They were and are very successful business people. With their tireless efforts, they won many exotic trips. On many occasions, they would take me and my brother.

Mo became a Grand-mo in 1990. She loved it. If my kids needed anything, or needed to get to an appointment, picked up from school, anything, I could call Mo and she would help.

Mo managed a Ganto's store for a few years. Ganto's was a well known womens fashions chain locally in Michigan. My Mo working in a Ganto's would be like me working in a baseball card shop. I don't think she ever looked at it as work. I remember when she bought this red Grand Am. She saved, and paid for it with her own money. She was never really happy driving plain cars. She liked to roll in style and be noticed.

Mo is a cat lover. My Dad is allergic to pets, so we never had a cat or dog growing up. That is until one day at one of our weekend baseball tournaments, when one of the other moms picked up a free kitten, and gave it to my Mo. She had Frenchie the cat for something like 18 years. Mo took good care of Frenchie. Mo has another gifted kitty now. One of her good friends gave it to her. It's name was Dan. Yes, Dan the cat. Funny thin is; Dan is a female cat. No female kitty of Mo's is going to walk around with a name like Dan. Mo needed a softer fluffier name. Dan is now Sophie.

 Mo is a great cook! We often had big holiday dinners at our house. Mo always put out a big spread. She always made sure the dinner table was set to coordinate with the holiday.

 Mo was always trying new hairstyles, and new hair colors. She was never afraid to try a new style. Mo is just as comfortable in a pair of overalls as she is in a formal gown. She makes both look good.

 Although I wouldn't say Mo is adventurous, she was no couch potato either. She and my Dad did many exciting things.

 I don't even know what to say about this picture. Did Mo work for the C.I.A. in the 70's?

My Mo is in her 60's now. Over the past couple of years, health issues have sapped her of some of her strength. She still likes to get out and shop, have her nails done, work out at Curves, and take trips to Florida with my Dad.
I wouldn't be the man that I am today if Mo had not been the Mom she has been my whole life. You're an amazing woman, Mo. I love you.