Friday, 5/9/97 No other like mother In a nostalgic yearning for
home cooking and maternal support, students pay filial tribute to
their moms for one special day
By Michelle Navarro Daily Bruin Contributor She changed the
diapers, taught about the birds and the bees, picked up the pieces
after the first heartbreak, said "yes" when Dad said "no," was the
chauffeur to baseball practice, and even managed to squeeze in a
bedtime story after a long, hard day at the office. Yes, it’s that
time of the year again when herds raid the racks of card stores
everywhere and when flower shops hit peaks in sales. It’s that time
of the year when tribute is paid to the woman who put up with us
for so long – mom. Since birth, moms have been there, from soothing
a splintered finger to helping cope with the inevitable journey
from the comfort of the nest to the "real world." "I miss her being
around. I’m so far away and she can’t come to all the games
anymore," said Abby Hazelrigg, a second-year psychology student, "I
hate having to call her up and tell her things over the phone."
Without mom, some students found a decent meal hard to come by with
roommates and dorm hall chefs falling short of home cooking. "I
miss the little things I take for granted at home, like her washing
the dishes. I miss her cooking. Now, when I want to eat something I
have to cook it on my own," said Sam Ahmadpour, a second-year
undeclared student, "I miss when you need someone and you know
mom’s there for you." Yet, not all moms shun the frozen dinner
aisle at the market, since balancing a career and picking up the
slack at home is a test of human capability. However, moms were
still able to be that rock of support and that close friend which
many students admitted is difficult to do without. It isn’t easy to
quickly find a substitute for that dependable, listening ear. "It’s
hard to do without that undying, day-to-day support. The hugs are
missed; it’s difficult not having that constant flow of hugs," said
Andrea Atkinson, a third-year sociology student. Moms weren’t
kidding when they said "money doesn’t grow on trees," but it didn’t
take very long to learn that it came from them instead. For Mai
Nguyen, a first-year political science student, mom’s money and the
allowance were some of the elements of her mother that she greatly
missed. Lore Olds, a third-year English student, agreed. "I miss
going shopping with my mom, because she pays," she said while
browsing the Mother’s Day display in Ackerman. Other students
mentioned how they missed the comfort of their mothers when they
got sick "When you’re sick, it’s bad because there’s no chicken
soup," said David Sayah, a third-year biology student. One day of
rest and appreciation is not too much to ask, many students said
about the upcoming Mother’s Day. "It’s a thankless job, and for the
most part, it just goes unappreciated," said Shelly Whitsell, a
third-year psychology student. With Mother’s Day still a couple of
days away, students found they still had time to earn brownie
points with a card in the mail, a visit home, or even a phone call.
"I want to take her out to lunch," Ahmadpour said. "If I could get
her anything, I’d buy her a house on the beach and let her live in
peace, away from daily life and work." Tom Mitchell, a third-year
economics student, said he would "buy her a horse" if he could. His
friend, Sayah, shook his head in disagreement and said, "I wouldn’t
buy her a horse, I’d send her and my dad on a trip somewhere."
Related Links: Mother’s day e-card