There are tons of holidays.

Whether they are national-wide, state-wide, community-wide, retail-made, made-up-out-of-nowhere made, or want-to-be made, there seems to be a day for any and everything.

I try to celebrate, acknowledge, or pay attention to as many of them as possible, but there are too many and some I don’t relate with.

However, there is always going to be a front runner and it’s not Christmas, Halloween, my birthday, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Election Day, Casimir Pulaski Day, Mendota Sweet Corn Festival (it’s a four-day holiday, not an event), National Pizza Day, National Brandon Day, National I Want to Take Over the World Day, National Taco Day, National Video Game Day, National Dueling Dinosaurs Day, National Tom Foolery’s Day, National Vitamin C Day...you get the point, there is a day for absolutely everything.

It’s Mother’s Day.

Although, I am not a mother, I have many women who have been a mother to me and have offered love, support, wisdom, and a swift kick in the booty when I needed it.

I counted my texts, Facebook messages, X messages, and emails, and I sent out 35 Happy Mother’s Day greetings. Of course, my mother, my adopted-like mother, my three sisters, my grandmother (she got a phone call), a couple of cousins, and a few close friends were on the top of the list, but I always include others who I see on the social lists, that day, that year.

And every year when I’m sending Happy Mother’s Day, I always think, why do we only honor and make sure we say thank you to these role models and life-molding ladies once a year?

Over the years, I’ve personally made more of an effort to make sure how important the mothers in life truly are whether it’s paying for dinner more often than I would have in the past, an extra phone call or text, or a random, ‘Hey, I love you.’

Let’s face it, without them, we wouldn’t be who we are.

Some whooped us into respect.

I say some, which means the older generation, before it became “wrong” or illegal to punish or discipline a child into knowing the difference between right or wrong. I will always be a firm believer in actions speak to children, words do not, in this discussion.

I’m not a father, but I’m glad I got the lessons I did growing up because without them I wouldn’t have the strength, knowledge, admiration, tenacity, or courage to push through things I’ve needed to.

The love.

Nothing feels better than getting a big hug from your mother, even if she is only 4-foot-7 or 5-foot-2 and you’re 5-10 and three quarters.

They’re the first one you want to talk to if you accomplished a goal, met the “one,” are going through a breakup or divorce, or just want to hear a soothing, caring voice.

The support.

It must be in the mom guide book that they’re the true Dr. Phil for every one of their children.

Again, the break ups, the heartbreaks, the tough loses on the golf course, not feeling well, car accident, broke a toe kicking a wall in anger, being elected to a position you’ve worked hard for, or just telling you you’re either going about a situation the right way or the wrong way.

Moms are always there.

And we should always be there for them. To tell them thank you and I love you every day of the year for our entire lives.

Not just Mother’s Day.