Hats Off to You, Mom!

With Mother's Day around the corner, I'd like to take time out to say "thank you," to all the mothers out there. Here are just a few reasons I'm thankful for my mom, Carrie Flynn:

• She loved me through all of my stages, even if I looked just like the little girl in the bumblebee suit from Blind Melon's video for "No Rain."
• She taught me that I CAN do things on my own. I remember the first time I realized that my mother wasn't going to help me with my science fair projects anymore. I was going to have to make my own decision, and needless to say — I was appalled. After some thinking though, I came up with the perfect science fair project: To determine whether cats are left-pawed, or right-pawed. Genius, right? After the end of much trial and error, I "scientifically" discovered that cats are ambidextrous. I won my first science fair with that silly project.
• She dealt with my obstacles. I know I thought it was the end of the world when I didn't make it as a cheerleader in junior high. Every end to every relationship meant I'd spend a week or two in hysterics. And it took me a really long time to decide to enjoy college. Thanks for teaching me that these things are called obstacles for a reason — because you get over them.
• She taught me not to quit. There are so many times I've called my mother and said, "Look, I just can't do this anymore. I think I'm quitting." She never told me I couldn't, but she sure gave me a good list of reasons not to. To this day, I still can't think of anything I've outright quit. I owe this to my mom.

My team members also contributed words of thanks to their own mothers. This is why they're thankful:

Brian Dixon: "My mother, Gail Dixon, taught me how to trust that everything is going to work out even when you don't know if there is any possible way out of your current situation. She has taught me how to face difficult situations and tragedies by not running away but facing them head on."

Amanda Romano: 'Donna Romano has taught me an incredible amount, she's truly my best friend. Through her own actions she's secretly taught me how to be a brave, intelligent and independent woman. She's also always told me to 'go with your gut feeling,' that my intuition will guide me to the right decisions"

Cathy Gordon: "I'm thankful to my mom for telling me often that 'this too shall pass.' It has reminded me on my best and worst days that both pain and victory in this world are transitory. Oh, and good food helps."

So hats off to all the mothers out there! We can't even begin to explain how much you've changed our lives.