Wanted: Mom Material

I write a monthly column that runs in a local parenting magazine. (Shhhh, don't laugh, I've got them convinced I'm a good mom). My May column is due next week and I decided to write about my mom. In particular about her personality and character. And she's a character all right.

I called my sister to get her input. She shared a story I'd never heard about Mom (see what I missed by going off to college?!?). My mom is a beautician. She has her own salon. This never benefited me because I have very little hair. In fact when I was growing up, my dad used to tell me "You have fine hair. The kind you find on rat's ass." But I digress.

My sister has a lot of hair (that's her in the photo). Thick, wavy, brunette. She was the very definition of "Big Hair" in the 80s. Sissy was also a basketball player. Her senior year, her team made it to the state playoffs. The local news got a hold of the story of this girls' basketball team whose starting line-up had been playing together since 8th grade. They were also all high achieving National Honor Society members. The media wanted an interview.

My sister finds out at school that day she and her teammates are going to be interviewed for broadcast TV news. She immediately calls my mom in tears.

"Mom, the TV news is coming to interview us after school and I've just finished PE and my hair is a mess! I can't be on TV like this!"

So what does mom do? Of course she runs down to the school, checks my sister out and takes her home to style her hair. Once the hot rollers are out and the hairspray is in place, Mom takes her back to school in time for her interview.

Cause that's just the kind of mom she is.