Who's Your Mommy?

I am the mother of one daughter, but over the years I've added more children along the way....or should I say they adopted me as their "other "mom."  It seems that I am part of a new trend for millennials who declare that they have more than one person they think of as a mother figure.  

According to a recent survey conducted by Edible Arrangements®, although millennials consider their mother to be their primary mother figure (87%), they are more likely to have more "other mothers" than older generations.  Meanwhile,  44% of Americans ages 18 to 54 have three or more mother figures in their lives, and one in five (20%) say they have five or more. Of the "other mother" figures, friends account for  36%; while grandmothers and mothers-in-laws are tied at 22%.

What wasn't revealed by Edible Arrangements® in this survey are some of the reasons WHY someone would look to another person as a mother figure.  

Here's a perspective from Don Smithmeier:

It’s not about them being better or worse than our mothers, it’s the fact that they are different and that they are additive. The only thing greater than having a mom is having a Second Mom, too. What a gift.

Second Moms show us another version of parenting. Whether it’s the way they enforce the rules, the way they speak to their kids and spouse, or even the way they make their grilled cheese sandwiches, it’s all just different than our First Mom.

Second Moms give a second set of ears and eyes and arms. They teach us. They nurture us.

I, too, have a woman I look at as my second mother.  Although she already had six children of her own, she took me in and treated me as child #7.  She helped nurture me and even scolded me---all in the name of LOVE.

Happy Mother's Day Mama Jackson!

Who's your second mommy?

Given how many "other mothers" people identify and in honor of the important roles they play, Edible® is offering Buy 2 Get 1 Free box and arrangement deals for Mother's Day.

Baby Boomer Celebrity will Judge my Mother's Day Contest

I was on the phone talking to my husband when my other line beeped in. When I clicked over the voice on the other end said, "Hi Bev. This is Dwight Hicks. I'm sorry I'm just now getting back to you. I just saw your email." Well, I have to tell you I didn't remember off hand who Dwight Hicks was so I put him on hold and clicked back over to my husband. I told him about this man on the other line and I would see what he wanted and call "my man" back.

When I clicked back over to Dwight I had to ask him to refresh my memory because it was obvious I didn't remember. I joked and said, "When you talk to as many people as I do in a day it's hard to remember them all!" Then he said, "Remember, you wanted to interview me. I'm played for the 49ers."

Then it hit me like a ton of brick!!! I was talking with two-time super bowl champion Dwight Hicks! Oh, my God! I do remember putting in an interview request with his agent more than a month ago but when I didn't hear back I just assumed it wasn't going to happen. He was so gracious and so easy to talk to. I set up the interview and then realized I needed another judge for the Mother's Day contest. So what did i do? I just asked him point blank: "Would you consider being a judge for my Mother's Day Contest?"

He said, "Yes, sure!"

OK now here's where I wanted to scream on the telephone but I maintained my composure and told him the details and then he offered to donate an autographed photo of himself to one of the winners. OK...that's good.

So yesterday I got a two-for-one with Dwight Hicks. This is just one more example of how God really works because just the day before I was asking my husband where I was going to find another judge since Nikki Giovanni couldn't do it (because of the shooting investigation).

Will YOUR ESSAY be the one Dwight likes the best? You won't know if you don't enter. Entry deadline is May 9. Send entries to: babyboomervalentine@gmail.com

Mothers Day Contest

"Mama said there would be days like this!"

If you had a mama like I did, she spent most of her life trying to warn you against certain things and certain people. But if you were a young person like me, you didn't listen very well. My mama used to say "If you lie down with dogs, you're bound to get up with fleas!" My ex husband proved her point! My Big Mama (grandmother) used to say "Hard heads make soft behinds!"

In 800 words or LESS, write an essay about one warning in particular your mother gave you when you were younger but you failed to heed her advice and found out later that she was RIGHT all along. For example, she may have told you not to date a certain person but you did anyway and after a while you realized it was a mistake and you could hear your mother saying "I told you so!" Tell your story. It can be humorous or very serious. How you tell it will be more important than what the actual warning was.

First place winner will receive $50
Second place will receive an autographed copy of my book “Whatever! A Baby Boomer’s Journey Into Middle Age” PLUS a My trademark Hot Flash Survival Kit.
Third Place: The book “God Can Handle it for Mothers" by Carlene Ward (compliments of Heidi Richards)
Fourth Place: “Mothers are Forever” by Criswell Freeman (compliments of Heidi Richards
Fifth place will receive a gift card

I WILL NOT BE A JUDGE. I'm not going to announce the judges just yet pending confirmation.

Entry deadline is May 9th. Winners will be announced on Mother's Day. All entries should be sent to: babyboomervalentine@gmail.com with mother's day contest noted on the subject line.

There will be a special surprise for all entrants and it's open to EVERYONE.