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Sunday, May 11, 2014

Mother's Day: Grin & Bear It

The perfect gift 
By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

I don't remember exactly how old I was, but I couldn't have been more than seven or eight, when my dad took us Mother's Day shopping.  I had saved my allowance and wanted to get my mom something really special that year.  After rejecting the usual slippers, perfume, and flowers, I found what I thought was the perfect gift... a pair of earrings.

But these were no ordinary earrings.  They were teddy bears.  And not just teddy bears, but fuzzy teddy bears.  I knew my mom would just love them.  I eagerly waited as she unwrapped the floral paper and opened the small white box containing my gift.

I don't know how she did it, but my mom acted as if it was the greatest gift she'd ever received.  She made a big fuss over them and how much she loved them.  She even took out the earrings she was wearing and put them in as we prepared to go to my grandma's house to celebrate the day.  I felt proud with my decision.

Fast forward more than 10 years to my college days.  Because it was finals week and I was two hours away at school, driving home for the weekend wasn't an option.  So my parents met me at a park halfway for a picnic lunch.  When I pulled up, my mom was sitting at the picnic table with those little brown bears dangling from her ears.  We laughed and recalled the day she got them.  It made me feel good that she kept those gaudy earrings all those years.

Now, more than 20 years after that, only one earring has survived. I took a pic of it for this blog, as mom knew exactly where the remaining one was.  She doesn't know where the other got misplaced, but I'm impressed that she still has one, 30 plus years later.  

While I don't have a cheesy gift for her this year, I hope sharing this story puts a smile on her face and yours.  Happy Mother's Day mom, and to all the other mothers out there.

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