May 11, 2006

Dear DMC,

Mother’s Day is coming. My mother’s gone now. But I think of her from time to
time, especially when I deal with my own children.

Below I list what I often think my own children expect me to be say — things I
can’t imagine my mother ever saying:

~ "Let me smell that shirt. Yeah, it's good for another week."

~ "Yeah, I used to skip school a lot, too."

~ "Well, if Timmy's mom says it's okay, that's good enough for me."

~ "Don't bother wearing a jacket. The wind chill is bound to improve."

~ "I don't have a tissue with me . . . just use your sleeve."

~ "How on earth can you see the TV sitting so far back?"

~ "Go ahead and keep that stray dog, honey. I'll be glad to feed and walk
him every day."

~ "Just leave all the lights on . . . it makes the house look more cheery."

~ "The curfew is just a general time to shoot for. It's not like I'm running a prison
around here."

Sincerely,

Dave Thedford
Topeka, Kansas