Mother of Real Men

Sunday, May 9th and Day 6 of the quest. (If this is your first time reading Five-Foot Nothin', read post 'Blowing It' for quest details)

It's Mother's Day and I'm looking forward to an indulgent brunch with my kids at Ocean Prime. An experience prompted by my son, Brendan's suggestion (his current place of employment) and lured by the promise of blueberry stuffed French toast and lobster Benedicts -- I had much to anticipate.

Above the enjoyment of great food, it was touching that my son wished to treat his Mom at 'his place' -- Very cool. It is wonderful to catch a glimpse of your children's world outside of...you.

Without question, my favorite part of visiting my son's work is observing how his managers and co-workers respond to him. Watching their genuine positive reaction to his presence, I can see that he is truly an important and enjoyable part of the team. That means a lot to me and makes me incredibly proud.

And then there have been the wonderful moments when his managers have gone out of their way to sincerely tell me how terrific my son is -- How much Brendan adds to the team and what a fine young man he is. Well, it doesn't get any better than that.

That got me thinking...Besides the cards and tender words from my children, the best Mother's Day gift a woman could get is to hear from someone else -- without solicitation or gain -- what wonderful people her children have grown to be. After all, that is the whole point to motherhood: Having the privilege and responsibility of helping a little person come into the world and lovingly preparing them to live out their own purpose in the world outside of yours.

And so, after a decadent brunch with my children filled with blood orange mimosas and handcrafted gifts (beautiful), I spent a few moments alone and sat down to write a card for another mother. A mother I have never met.

She is a mother in Alabama who raised three sons. Three extraordinary sons that grew to be real men. And a couple of those men have forever changed my life for the better.

I met these brothers last year out of complete chance (if you believe in such a thing as 'chance').

Not long after we met, I learned these brothers were coming to the aid of a family desperately trying to solve a life crisis. They opened up not only their hearts, but their home and all other generosities to their friend in need, their entire family and traveling friends. It was a beautiful gift to the family that few would ever entertain, let alone commit to doing for an extended period of time. Although I appreciated their character before, I was quickly educated how truly special these men were. It was beautiful but painful, inspiring but humbling and a true honor to watch their story unfold and know with all certainty, how irreplaceable these men were.

Then, the unexpected crept into my life and the bottom slipped out from underneath me for a bit. And without much warning, I found myself the beneficiary of the strength and character of these two men. And with all their generosities, perhaps the greatest gift I have received from them, is the privilege of  a front row seat to learning more about why they are such extraordinary real men.

There is the Iron Man -- both of body and mind, who ensures that both his body and life acumen are stronger every day. With a personal story worthy of documentary on HBO or ESPN, his level of commitment to not just being his best...but being continually better...is inspiring. And while his athletic commitments have him running 20 miles a day quite often, he equals that diligence by studying deep into world issues -- dusting aside surface facts to uncover deeper truths. And then there is his commitment to his friends. Loyal, trustworthy and kind, there are countless many who benefit from his fierce friendship.

His brother is the Superhero. At least, that's exactly how he appears to me...without the cape and tights.  It seems whenever sinister forces threaten my  well-being -- whatever the situation -- he is right there. A record-holding former collegiate athletic star (maybe he can leap tall buildings in a single bound), he was born with the heart of a champion that is obvious today in every aspect of his life and character.  With seemingly superhuman positivity supplying enough wattage to electrify a major metropolitan city, the world is much brighter wherever he is. Armed in a rare honesty and grounded values that seem to make him impervious to bullets of  vanity, greed and deception -- His presence is the safest, most desirable place to be. One of the most diligent people I have ever met, he lifts a locomotive-sized load of responsibility  every day -- Lending a hand to anyone else without prompting. Disguised in humility, he can't fool me. Every day I see through his secret identity a little more and catch him in the act of being the most remarkable person I've ever met. I gratefully learn from him each day.  

There are no words to express my gratitude to these to great men -- I'll keep trying, but in truth, none at all could ever do justice. 

However, the least I can do is let the mother of these remarkable real men know she has some extraordinary sons that make the world a better place to live for me and so many others. Happy Mother's Day, Cecile.

358 more adventures and stories to go. Thanks for reading. If you like what you saw, please feel free to post your comments, subscribe or pass it along.

-Dolores McKay

Comments

[Tommy_landry]

Dolores - you have such a way with words, and this is a wonderful post that Cecile will surely find touching and heartfelt. Looking forward to the 300+ posts you have left on your journey this year.

[Steve Dragoo]

Loved it. You communicate effortlessly & effectively.