Mother’s Day

It is cliche and obvious to state that I owe everything to my mom. She brought me into the world, she raised me, she endured the stress I inflicted upon her life, and she loves me unconditionally.

In most ways my mom and I are polar opposites, yet somehow we have always been close and she has always supported me. When I first began studying kung fu, mom was not pleased. She worried what influence the eastern philosophies would have on me. The influence was profound but mom kept her mind open and recognized how the art was helping me.

The one thing mom never easily accepted in my life was any form of roughness or violence. Like my hockey, mom did not ever see me practice my kung fu. For the first twenty or so years of my training, mom would tell her friends that I was studying taekwondo. Today mom celebrates my students’ successes. She still bristles and questions my sanity every time I have another knee surgery, but she understands that kung fu is who I am.

I love you mom!

 “My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it.” - Mark Twain (1835 -1910)