Friday, May 11, 2001 | 4:25 a.m.
Brian Greenspun is editor of the Las Vegas Sun.
M IS FOR the many ways she loves me.
Whoever thought of this Mother's Day thing sure knew what he or she was doing, because in this fast-paced world of ours it has become too easy to overlook or take for granted one of the greatest sources of love and strength on the planet -- Mom. So taking at least one day each year to acknowledge the person who gave us life and nurtured us to the point where we could care for ourselves is the very least we should do.
Now, if you ask our mothers about their special day the answer would probably be that there are 365 such days each and every year during which sons and daughters should not only think of their mothers but should thank them profusely for the sacrifices they made to get us this far.
And my guess is that most people already do that in their own way. Especially those who, because of the passage of time and the vagaries of life, can no longer do so in person. For them it is the memories that remain sweet and which must suffice while others celebrate in more tangible ways.
I am among the fortunate people who still have a mother who will pick up the phone -- when I call; go to dinner -- when I ask her; and even play a game of golf -- when I am playing well enough to help her win. I am also blessed with a mother-in-law who, all jokes including my own aside, has been a most special person in my life for over 30 years. And, dare I forget or even slight her in any way, there is the mother of my daughter, who has embodied all the best of what motherhood is or can be.
There, I have covered the bases today and actually meant every word. For the guys out there reading this, now would be a good time for you to do the same. It will make for a much more pleasant day!
What follows the words, of course, for most of us is the obligatory breakfast in bed, a joyful brunch with the family, flowers that say " I love you" and, generally, a "forget about me, how about you" attitude that will last at least until midnight. Then it is back to normal. And normal is what I'd like to talk about.
We live in a very mobile society in which families are separated by miles instead of blocks, unlike the society of just a generation ago. Visiting parents and family is harder than ever, so what I and many others take for granted -- being with and working near our mothers -- is a long-forgotten wish of many people.
For them it is the daily or weekly phone calls and the once or twice-yearly visits that have to suffice. But what about those who don't visit, don't call, don't go out of their way to say, "I love you" or even, "thanks" as often as they can? What about those among us who grudgingly sacrifice themselves for Mother's Day and revert to form, or lack of it, as soon as the new dawn arrives?
I know life isn't perfect and not all family relationships are ideal. How well we all know that!
I also know that there is only one woman who with great pain brought us into this world and, with or without faults and in her own way, has loved us unconditionally. That's a love that is very hard to find and which should be cherished as well as acknowledged every day, not just Mother's Day.
But since this is the Sunday that President Woodrow Wilson decided we should set aside for celebration, let me be the first to say to Mom -- Barbara, Rachel and Myra --as well as all moms out there, "Happy Mother's Day."
You are loved and appreciated on this special day. And every other day, too.
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