I was just thinking about something that happened when I was in eighth grade. One day, my mom was coming back from work and I noticed she was wearing denim jeans. She had worn them before and I never thought twice, but that day, I said to her, "Mom, you shouldn't wear jeans anymore. I think jeans look juvenile and I don't think a mom with two grown children should wear them. Solid colors would look a lot more classy on you." I had not planned on saying anything like that to her; it was completely a spur of the moment thing. She just listened and took in what I had said. We didn't talk further about it or anything, and we probably just ate dinner.

I didn't think about it again. Until years later when it dawned on me that my mom had NEVER wore jeans again from that day forward. I was possibly in the tenth grade at that the time I realized this. One day, very casually, I said to her, "You never wear jeans anymore." And she replied, "Do you remember what you told me when you were in the eighth grade. I thought about it and I realized that you were right." And jokingly, she added, "I wouldn't want to embarrass you by walking around in jeans because you want to walk around with an elegant, sophisicated mom."

That is my mom for you. She always took what we- Claud, Rich, and me- said to heart. There was nothing ever trivial when it came to how we were feeling or thinking. I don't know, some people may see this as a unfortunate trait, but to me, this is something that I will try to emulate with my own kids and with Jason.