A Mother’s Day story. On Mother’s Day. But really, it’s not. It’s just a story about a Mom who loves her son. She loves him so much that putting him first means putting herself second. But she’d have it no other way.

A reminder that being a Mom is not just limited to those who have given birth. It’s about comforting and nurturing and loving and being. And so much more.

And maybe most of all, it’s about protecting.

Now take a look at the photo. That’s one of the best Mom’s I’ve ever met. Now look at that lucky dog. That lucky dog is loved. He’s smart and happy and sassy and he loves to give kisses. He loves his Mom most of all. And she loves him back even more.

I can’t help but smile just looking at these two. A Mother and her son. On Mother’s Day.

Now look again. Because something is missing. Something big. Do you see it?

Their house is missing. That’s right. When I met them, this happy and proud family was living inside their car. No heat. No bathroom. No shower. But just look at those smiles.

They don’t want you to call them homeless. They don’t want you to cry. They don’t want you to pity them. Because even though they lived in a car, they felt blessed. Because they had that car when many had less. And they had each other. Blessed. Blessed. Blessed. They truly felt blessed.

They felt blessed because they were together. And because they knew many that were not.

Mom said it would be nice to sleep in a bed and take a daily shower. To be warm without wearing three coats and blankets and as many pair of socks as she could wrap around her cold feet. To have a yard for her best friend to run around and play. Because sleeping inside a car in a parking lot does not allow that.

And it would be nice to cook a meal again. Because eating all your meals inside a car limits the options. Because a dashboard does not come with a stove or an oven or a sink.

But she said you make life what it is. And feeling blessed is what they decided to make it.

When Mom’s career job was eliminated and her housing was lost because she could no longer afford it, she did what she needed to do. She and her best friend moved their old home into their new home.

In other words, what you and I call a car, they call a home. And even though their home is made of metal and sits on four wheels, it is definitely a home filled with love. I know that. Because I was there. I saw the love. I felt the love.

I was there when they turned to The Pongo Fund for help when they had nowhere else to turn.

I wish you could have seen how lucky that dog was. He got to ride in the front seat sitting on a big pillow with food and water bowls right in front of him on the dashboard. Treats too. His own bed in back.

I wish you could have seen his box of toys and coats and blankets. I wish you could have seen the books that his Mom reads aloud to him when there was enough light to read.

There’s so much more to this story. But out of respect and privacy I will not share those details.

There’s so much more to this photo too. So many things that you cannot see. But look again. Because there is something very special that you can see. It’s right there in front of you.

You can see why they feel blessed. You can see it in their eyes.

Because the love they share is not defined by the boundaries of four walls. It’s not defined by dollars or zip codes or store bought definitions or by what other people think.

It’s defined on their terms.

A love that fills the heart and makes every moment better. A love that keeps two wonderful souls feeling blessed. Feeling blessed because they are together.

Being a Mom. It’s a tough job. And to do it well really does take more than a title. Foster. Step. Birth. Surrogate. These are all Mom’s. The list goes on. And that’s ok.

Let’s not split hairs here. In my book, if you do the work, you earn the title. No flowers or greeting cards or birth certificates are needed.

Simply being a good Mom is the most important thing.

The woman in the photo is a Mom. And she is a great Mom. And today we wish her a very Happy Mother’s Day.

And we wish a very Happy Mother’s Day to you too. To all the Moms…from all of us at The Pongo Fund.

Being there for a Mother and her son.

And this is why we Pongo.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live. Please Hug your Mother.

Even if she’s not here to hug.

thepongofund.org

(My Mom passed away 19 years ago. It still seems like yesterday. I Pongo for her too)