By Rick Ryckeley
Fayette County Fire & Emergency Services

There are some people who faint at the sight of blood - but not my mom. Raising four boys and one girl, she saw a lot of it and always seemed to know just what to do. Growing up I can remember constantly scraping knees and elbows, getting stung by killer bees, cutting fingers, getting pieces of glass stuck in my foot, or getting run over by giant tractor tires. Mom was always there.

One of us boys were always getting hurt (usually right after Big Brother James said, "Try it; it'll be safe; you won't get hurt"). Each time we'd run to find Mom because she knew what to do to make it feel better. Even in the midst of The Great Dirt Clod Battle of 1972, my Mom was there to take care of the wounded. Mom was always there.

We would run into the house, crying and dripping with blood, but my mom would not flinch - she knew what to do. Mom would take care of the worst injured first (this was probably the first time triage was used for a dirt clod battle), clean up the blood, bandage the wound, kiss the boo-boo, give us a hug and always say, "Now doesn't that feel better?" And ya know, for some reason, it always did. The power of Mom Hugs is truly an amazing thing. Mom Hugs make the pain go away.

The development of Mom Hugs is a chemical change, one that takes place upon the birth of their first child. All new moms develop the power of Mom Hugs without exception. Just about the same time they develop the ability to see what you are doing when their backs are turned, to know when you're in trouble and to know what you did to get there.

I've been told that Mom Hugs are a natural thing, just the maternal instinct coming out. Many things in the universe we will never understand, and the amazing healing power of Mom Hugs might just be one of them. Mom Hugs make the pain go away.

The power of Mom Hugs never goes away - it never fades even with time. Ever got a hug from your grandmother that didn't make you feel better? Ask any child, and they'll tell you that Grandma Hugs feel just as good as Mom Hugs!

You're never too young for Mom Hugs. As a boy, I could not go to sleep without my Mom Hugs. (Mom Hugs make the monsters under your bed go away; just ask any four-year-old.) On stormy nights with the wind howling and the thunder booming, I had to have two. As far back as I can remember, Mom Hugs are what put me to bed at night. Mom Hugs are what made everything all right.

You're never too old for Mom Hugs. When we lost the state football championship, it was Mom Hugs that made me feel better. After Jenny broke my heart in the tenth grade, it was a Mom Hug that helped put it back together. My mom's Hugs were so powerful, they even worked on other kids in the neighborhood.

Thomas lived next door and was one of my best friends. One afternoon, we were jumping our bikes over the giant tractor tire when Thomas crashed and broke his arm. My Mom ran out and held him until the ambulance came - she held him all the way to the hospital. Thomas later told me that my mom's hugs made the pain not feel so bad. No matter what national origin, whether short, tall, skinny, or not so skinny, all moms have the power of Mom Hugs.

But sometimes moms need hugs. When Brother Richard died, I hugged my mom and told her it would be okay. Mom needed a lot of hugs that day. Many years ago I carried my mom down the steps to go to the hospital for the last time. As I did, she looked up at me and gave her little boy one last Mom Hug and said, "It'll be okay."

Mom has been gone for sometime now - I guess that pain will never go away. On this Mother's Day when you see your mom, run up and hug her like it's for the last time. Sometimes even moms need hugs. If there were more Mom Hugs, we would all have less pain.

Hug your mom twice this Mother's Day - once for you and once for all of us who will never get another. What I wouldn't give for one last Mom Hug to make everything all right once again.

Love you always, Mom - from your little boy.

[Rick Ryckeley is employed by the Fayette County Department of Fire and Emergency Services. He can be reached at saferick@bellsouth.net.]

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