My retirement gift to someone special
My mother is retiring at the end of this school year. What I have known forever, and what I now see everyone else she's come in contact has realized, is that she is very special. I have often referred to her as my "favorite person in the world."

I mean it. She and my father had the unenviable task of raising my brother and me. They have done a great job, I think. But I'm biased. She also is a wonderful teacher, a tireless worker, and someone whose heart comes out in everything she does.

Tonight I had the chance to meet some of her co-workers, who found out in the last decade what I already knew.

My mom is a wonderful person. Sometimes I am certain I'll never reach her level of decency.

But before this gets too mushy, here are the top 10 things my mother told me.

1. "Not everyone can be a jock, Zach."-- I was upset people thought I was a nerd in middle school.

2. "Some kid in New York is very happy." --everytime the Indians lost to the Yankees.

3. "You're lucky he lets you play." -- about a coach who liked to bench me for half the game.

4. "You are always resilliant." -- everytime I encounter trouble.

5."When you are famous..."--She thinks I'll be star someday. I'm not sure at what, but mom believes in me.

6. "What does that tell you?"-- After I told her commercials that aired during pro wrestling matches were for losers.

7. "Good for him." -- when someone told her I'd dropped F-bomb after F-bomb after the 1997 World Series.

8. "You're a late bloomer." --this is important to me for the same reasons as No. 5.

9. "If you ever want to feel good about yourself, go to a beach." --I LOVE this one.

10. "Take your hat off... Lou." --this one would take too long to explain.

I love you Mom.

Your grateful son.