Jordan Green Says: Mom is always right

When you need good advice, to whom do you turn?

The answer is different for everyone. When I need to hear words of wisdom, I turn to my mother. She’s always right.

Sunday was Mother’s Day. Like so many other people, I spent it thinking about how wonderful my mother is. Though the holiday has come and gone, I believe we should never stop appreciating and loving the women who brought us into this world – and who could threaten to take us right back out of it should we get too mouthy.

My mother cares for me and loves me unconditionally – even when I likely don’t deserve it. And she’s always got good ideas for me, especially when it comes to the newspaper.

Throughout my time in journalism, I’ve gotten some of my best story ideas from my mom. When I think back on my most meaningful works, I think about a column I penned in the fall. In that column, I talked about my affinity for my college, Northwestern Oklahoma State University. It’s a small college, and when I first started there, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But the longer I was there, the more I began to enjoy it. My mom suggested that I write a column for high school seniors who were then in the midst of their college search processes. She said that telling those kids that small colleges are just as good as big ones would help ease their nerves. After all, just a year prior, I had been the kid who was worried sick about picking the right college.

At first, I thought it was a corny topic. But I did what she said, and that column has been one of my most popular columns of all time. I got feedback from parents whose children read it and took it to heart. The teachers and staff at my college loved it. And it was even picked up by a couple of other newspapers. That was exciting for me, and it was all because of Momma. She was right!

She’s got a good eye for stories, and she’s got a big heart for animals. Whenever one of my cattle-raisin’ friends has a calf that needs some extra attention, my mom is there. For the last year, she’s been raising a bottle calf she named Dollie. Dollie’s mother couldn’t care for her, so my mother brought Dollie to our house. My mom raised Dollie from the time Dollie was two weeks old. One year later, she has become the most gentle, playful calf I’ve ever seen. Mom has a wealth of knowledge about feeding and nurturing young bovines, and she gladly shares her knowledge with anyone and everyone who needs it. She’s as right as rain when it comes to raising little ones.

Luckily for me, I am one of her little ones.

Though she adores her pets, she has always put her heart and soul into caring for my family. Between keeping my dad, my sister, and me in line, my mom has a lot on her plate. But she never lets a hurtful word cross her mind, and she always makes us feel loved. When my sister and I were growing up, my mom made sure we were at school on time and looking our best. And when she brought us home, she made our days brighter. Sometimes, we just needed a shoulder to cry on. She was there.

I don’t know where I’d be today without her. My mom has shown me what the meaning of “motherly love” really is, and I know I’m better off for having been loved by her.

Every now and then, someone says to me, “Your parents raised you right.” When I hear that, I just smile.

Why? Because I know they’re telling the truth.

Momma is always right.