Here’s to Moms

Another Mother’s Day passed and I was unable to spend it with mine. Mom, however, visited a week prior and we went out to dinner and laughed and danced and celebrated. Life when Mom is around is always like that, a little busier and lot more fun.

I’ve spent ample time over the years writing about my mother, who is equally thoughtful and hilarious, so I won’t repeat those stories. Instead, I wanted to piece together a column about my coworkers’ moms, many of whom I’ve met and admired at how invested they are in there sons’ and daughters’ lives. And like mine, they make you laugh like only moms can.

A few weeks ago I was on the phone with my art director’s mom. Steve wasn’t here. He was in Mexico on vacation and hadn’t checked in for a few days (roaming charges in foreign countries can be steep). So, Steve’s mom did what any mom who loves her son would: She called the Beacon newsroom and asked for the editor.

I spent some time reassuring her that Steve was OK. He probably just had his phone off and was enjoying the sunshine, which he was. But you could tell she was concerned, and while I teased her son about it after the fact, his is the kind of mom you want – one who is ready to travel south of the border to find you when you make her worry.

Another mom, staff writer Justin Franz’s, actually sent me a thank you email for hiring her son. Perhaps that shouldn’t have been a surprise. Franz was our longest-serving intern ever at eight months, and she may have been concerned that was his chosen career path. Justin’s mom also thinks her son and I look a lot alike and once commented on a Facebook photo: “Great photo of my son. Our son has been cloned!” It simply confirmed that moms are the best.

Staff writer Molly Priddy’s mom often visits our office. She also thanked me for hiring her daughter. And she also called the office when Molly hadn’t returned her calls for about a week.

Media Director Greg Lindstrom’s mom calls herself “his biggest fan” and emails him after each issue of the Beacon arrives in her Oregon mailbox.

Senior writer Tristan Scott’s mom visits him every year. Once I teased him that he had to work Christmas Day and he responded flatly, “My mother will kill me. Seriously.” She loves him so much that, as a child, when Tristan was obsessed with the “Back to the Future” films, his mom went to the local Ben Franklin to see if they carried any Hoverboards. In his words: “Her query was met by the slack-jawed stare of a dumbfounded store clerk.”

We also have a number of amazing moms who work here. You can often find their kids roaming our hallways, visiting each office along the way. They vary from infants to teenagers. Like many of yours, these moms hold down two full-time jobs – one at work and one raising children.

Along with those heavy commitments, these moms serve on various volunteer boards and booster clubs. Advertising Executive Kelly Siblerud, a proud graduate of Flathead High and mother of current and future students there, likes to remind me that her child will one day be featured in our Best of Preps section, in which we highlight some of the best local athletes in the valley.

These moms bring baked goods to the office during the week. They share their lunches when you forget yours. Moms are thoughtful that way. And we’re lucky to have them around.