When I think about where I am in life today, I know I wouldn’t be here without my mom. She’s always been my number one fan and supported all of my ambitions, no matter how absurd they seemed at the time. “Hey mom, I’m going to play Division I football even though I wasn’t recruited by any schools.” “I believe in you, son!” And so, I walked on and earned a full ride scholarship and helped our team win two Big Ten championships. “Hey mom, I’m going to be an anchor in Kansas City someday even though the 50 stations I sent tapes to right after college graduation all declined to hire me.” “I believe in you, son!” I’ve been an anchor and reporter in Kansas City for the past 20 years. “Hey mom, I’m going to be an author even though I can’t get a traditional publisher in New York to look at my manuscript.” “I believe in you, son!” I’ve written five books so far, all to great reviews, and have worked with Reedy Press out of St. Louis for my last two. In every step of my life, even when the odds seemed stacked against me, my mom many times believed in me more than I believed in myself. And her belief in me propelled me to success.

Now don’t get me wrong. My mom doesn’t just tell me what I want to hear. She’s a pragmatist. A realist. She calls it like she sees it. If she doesn’t like something I’ve written, she’ll tell me. She doesn’t mince words. It’s not that she’s doubting me. She’s pushing me to be better. And I appreciate that. When I first told her I wanted to be an author and planned to write about my experiences as a walk-on football player at Northwestern University, she was the first to tell me she knew I would write a fantastic book. I sent her my initial manuscript and she pored over it with a black marker, letting me know what she liked and what she didn’t like. It’s been the same with every book I’ve written. She sends me her notes on every book, and I make the changes needed to make it better. Her honesty has made me a better writer. It’s helped me realize I need to work even harder to ensure every book is the absolute best it can be. And the proof is in the reviews. Every book I’ve written has received five star reviews. To me, getting five stars from an objective reviewer is important. If someone who doesn’t know me enjoys my writing, I take it as proof I am doing something right. And it’s all because of my mom’s notes. My mom is always willing to tell me her honest thoughts regardless of my feelings. My mom isn’t just trying to make me happy. She’s not just trying to make me like her. She’s trying to make me better.

Knowing I can depend on my mom to tell me her true feelings has helped me stay humble and understand that I can always be better. After Chrissy, she’s my biggest fan. I’ve always trusted her judgement because she’s always been an avid reader. When I was in high school, I would come home late at night to find my mom awake in bed with her bedside lamp on reading. Her love for reading influenced me greatly. She often took me to the library as a kid, and I loved finding new books to read. In the fourth grade, I begged her to let me read Stephen King’s “Pet Semetery”. She eventually relented, and I’m glad she did because it opened my mind to the possibilities of the imagination. Sure, I had nightmares about dead cats and kids coming back to life, but reading those types of books sparked my imagination to run wild. I wanted to write like Stephen King, and I try to emulate him today with his conversational style of writing. My mom was constantly reading and recommending new books to me. All that reading helped me develope my own style of writing. I write conversationally, not necessarily artistically, as I want you to feel as if I am talking to you.

With my new “The Kansas City Royals: An Illustrated History” book, I sent her the manuscript before it was published. I do that for every book. She read it and loved it. With each new book she reads, she has fewer notes. I’m getting better, she says. But whenever she sends me a note, I take it seriously. I consider her your average reader. If something bothers her, it’ll bother other readers. Her guidance helps me to create the best manuscript possible. So, in the end, I would say my mom has always demanded the best of me. Through her support and guidance, I’ve learned how to demand the best of myself. I owe her a huge thanks for helping me become the person and writer I am today.

So as we approach Mother’s Day, I challenge you to reflect on your mom’s influence on your life. How has she helped you reach your potential? How has she challenged you to be better than you would’ve been through your own devices? Our mom’s are the reason we are who we are today, and as we approach Mother’s Day, I hope you take the time to thank her for all the hard work she’s put in to raise you to be the best person you could ever be. I know I appreciate my mom. She is part of me, and I will forever be grateful for that.