I hope you enjoy this tribute to my Mother.
Many moons ago my mother found the courage to divorce her abusive husband to save us both from a life filled with pain and suffering.
Back then it was rare to be a divorced, single mother. It seemed like most of the marriages in our community stayed intact until the kids were grown and gone.
In my case, my mother decided to bail for the sake of our safety and her sanity. She knew we deserved a better life.
Mom worked a full time job with the DPOA and then the Detroit Lieutenants and Sergeants Association to support us. I often wonder how in the world she remained sane working full time and raising me on her own. She did manage to have some free time when I visited with my father, grandparents and girlfriends.
When I was old enough to go to school, we moved to Grosse Pointe, Michigan, on the recommendation of my aunt who was impressed by the caliber of the school system.
Grosse Pointe was not exactly the kind of socioeconomic environment suited for a single mom and her child, but we fit in as best as we could thanks to my mother’s selflessness.
The choice to move to Grosse Pointe exposed me to a different world. I am grateful to have been raised in a safe, beautiful and affluent community.
I experienced the ballet, sailing, theater, horseback riding, ethnic food, concerts, social gatherings and lots of adventures North to visit my grandparents. She exposed me to religion via the Catholic church and people who would teach me about the importance of being street wise.
I met astronauts, filmmakers,detectives, tycoons and radio personalities. The late J.P. McCarthy of WJR Radio was a family friend. Meeting him inspired me to explore college radio and a fruitful 18 years television advertising sales.
Not only did my mom share a rich tapestry of experiences with me, she was also quite selfless. She gave up a lot to make sure I fit in to the Grosse Pointe scene. For example, when I was in high school, she rode the bus to work so I could have a car to drive to school.
She did her best raising a daughter who was quite precocious. Wise beyond my years, I witnessed and participated in a lot of crazy business in my young life while away from the safe haven she created for me.
When I was experiencing being bullied at school (complete with hate-filled notes, prank phone calls and hurtful “Booth is a Bitch” graffiti scratched on the front of my locker), she listened, and let me cry it out. Somehow she coaxed me back to school when I was terrified of what my happen next when I stepped inside the building.
When my first love broke my heart, she was there for me while I suffered what I thought was certain death. She supported me when this devastating loss led to a nose dive in my grades and unbridled rebellion.
My mom let me spin out within reason when I decided to hang out with an older (more accepting) crowd and became a wild-ass teenager. I pushed the envelope. Out of love and respect for her, I did what I could to protect her from finding out about most of my unconscious choices. As a teen, I spent a lot of time away from home on the weekends at a friend’s Lakeshore Drive mansion with very little parental supervision. It was easy to get lost and do whatever we wanted in 10,000 + square feet of living space.
Thankfully mom met and fell in love with my step-father just before I went off to college. She has been happily remarried for 27 years.
Now that I am a mother, I think about all of the sacrifices my mom made to prop me up and help me learn how to thrive in this great big universe. I can’t begin to imagine raising my daughter on my own. I am lucky to be happily married and fully supported by my husband (Best Dad in the World) while raising our child.
My mother is my hero for having the courage to raise me on her own in a loving, safe and healthy environment. She is an angel for teaching me that I was capable of anything in this lifetime.
I am incredibly grateful that I was raised by a woman who sacrificed so much for me. She worked hard, showed me the world, and put up with my shenanigans.
To this day, mom continues to demonstrate the power of a mother’s unconditional love.
Happy Mother’s Day!
P.S. There is still time to register for the Embrace The Goddess Telesummit and listen to the replay of my presentation on Saraswati – “The Flowing One”.
