Here is my Mom (and Dad) with nine of her living children. How she managed to keep her cool with all of us running around is beyond me. In HS, I did a report on my Mother because she had been pregnant for over 116 months of her life. And that is with three of us being born premature. She considered every one of us as a precious gift. I never knew who Mom's favorite child was...we all thought we were. Dad, well, Kay and Mike were his favorites, he loved us all, but those two are the ones we sent to arbitrate with Dad to get us out of punishments or buy ice cream. But Mom, nope. She was there for every one of us, and we were all equal in her eyes. I was lucky enough to have my Mom well into Adulthood. She became not only my Mother, but one of my Best Friends. I enjoyed her company. The last time I visited her...she didn't feel like going out to dinner.

"Kevin, just run up to DQ and get me a Butterscotch Sundae. " (Her favorite!)

"Mom, you are eighty years old. The Doctors say that ice cream isn't good for your emphysema. "

"Kevin, I have lived through two World Wars, Korea, and Vietnam. I have had nine operations, and twelve pregnancies. I almost died giving birth to your brother Timmy. I made it through the Depression, a broken back, 18 months flat on my back with tuberculosis, and all my Doctor's are dead. Get me the Sundae."

And I did.