Mother's Day

Moms!  Everyone has one, maybe more than one.  Some women are lucky enough to be one.  We never appreciate them when or as much as we should and try as we might, we always end up like them, some of us more than others.  Strangely enough there are a few of us who even wish we were more like our mothers.

This brings us to Mother's Day, which means different things to different people.  The cynical see it as another commercialized holiday in which gifts and cards are expected.  For some, its one of the few days a year you call or see your mom, willingly or not.  For others, its a chance to spoil mom or be spoiled yourself.  My favorite Mother's Day was when my 3rd grade daughter brought me breakfast in bed.  It consisted of dry toast, a cup of juice and cereal with water (the gallon of milk was too heavy to pour and she didn't want to make a mess for me).  For those of us whose mom's are no longer with us, it is a day to remember all the special things she did for us and what we did together.  One thing is for sure, there is no one like Mom.

Being a scientist, I look at what mom literally gave us.  Did we get her hair color, her great bone structure, or maybe her love of red wine?  Here is the one thing we ALL get from mom, and only mom.  Yes folks, that is your mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cell.  Isn't it beautiful?

My mom gifted me with a love of reading, gardening and the outdoors, and a fierce love for my family.  She told me to stop stretching out the sleeves of my shirts, don't chew gum like a cow, to appreciate all of life's little wonders, and reminded me that if I tired as hard as I could, that was good enough.

So on this Mother's day do something special for mom.  Tell her how much you appreciate your mitochondria and all the other little things she's given you.