May 2019
720 Goodlette Rd N, Suite 304, Naples, FL 34102 • www.AttorneyShapiro.com
What Makes a Great Mom? Celebrating My Mom and My Wife
M
other’s Day is on Sunday, May 12, and I want to take a moment to celebrate all the hardworkingmoms out there. I am fortunate to know two truly amazing moms inmy life: my ownmother andmy
“I am fortunate to know two truly amazing moms in my life …”
wife, Holly.
My family didn’t have a lot growing up. My momworked several different jobs over the course of my childhood, but she always made sure we had what we needed. Sometimes this meant buyingme new tennis shoes or a drum set with her ownmoney. Other times, it meant taking time to literally fight for my future.
Today, I’m still grateful for my mom. We have a great relationship, and I look forward to her visits. I knewwhat a great mom looked like, thanks to how hardmy ownmomworked every day, and today, I get to have another great, capable momby my side, thanks tomy wife. When you’re dating someone and it starts to get serious, you go through a checklist in your head when considering if your partner is someone you want to stick with for life. Smart? Check. Good-looking? Check. Funny? Check. Holly was a perfect score on all accounts. But the one thing youmay never consider is how your partner (or even you) will respond in a difficult situation until you’re in one. Our oldest son was born with severe disabilities, including autism and immune disorders. When I asked Holly tomarry me, I knew she was a wonderful woman, but I never knew how strong she was until Nathan came along. There is somuch they don’t tell you about raising a child with disabilities. It becomes your entire life, as you research every treatment and try to find doctors who can help. There are long nights when you spend hours discussing a treatment that might help your child but isn’t covered by your insurance. Simple things become impossible, and it’s not uncommon for marriages to crumble. Holly has handled every moment better than anyone else I know. I don’t think anyone but Holly could care for Nathan and our family half as well as she does. I didn’t imagine this life for myself, but Holly’s strength helps me get through the rough patches and appreciate the great times.
Unlike my younger brother, who got straight A’s in every grade, I had
a habit of goofing around. I didn’t really apply myself, andmy grades really reflected that. When I was in elementary school, one of my teachers wanted to put me in remedial classes. I remember my momgoing down tomy school and fighting to keep me in the mainstream class.
She insisted that I didn’t belong in the remedial classes. They ultimately came to an agreement: I could stay inmy class, but I needed to have a tutor.
Momused her ownmoney to hire me a tutor outside of school, and it really paid off. My grades came up, I did better in school, and I would go on to graduate cum laude and attend law school. My mom’s efforts kept me from going down the path that would have labeledme the“bad student.”I can only imagine the difference that made onmy life in the long run.
I want to take a moment to wish a very happy Mother’s Day to my wife, my mom, and all the incredible moms out there. You are responsible for somuch good in the world and you deserve to be celebrated for your hard work. -Marc Shapiro
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