God did a great thing when he created mothers. The job description is enormous and the hours are endless but moms are the best professionals you'll ever meet. Talk about a master at multi-tasking! Sharper than a ginsu knife, moms are able to do all things at all times, and still wipe a runny nose while baking cookies, doing their "day job" and having the patience of job. It doesn't matter if you are knee high or hardly able to get up off your knees, no matter what our age, we need our moms. Even years after their passing, we carry them in our heart and keep them an active part of ourselves. There are no Nobel Peace prizes for mothers, no Oscars or ribboned panels; no Mothers' Wall or monument, we are the living breathing monument to our own mothers, so let's make them proud.</p><p><b>Mother's Day at the Park a tradition</b></p><p>Each year, Lara and I attend the annual Los Ba&#241;os Kiwanis Club Mother's Day Breakfast; it wouldn't be Mother's Day with out it, attached to the ever popular Mother's Day Arts and Crafts Show at the Park held at Pacheco Park. </p><p>This is a bountiful breakfast at a bargain price serving a good cause. Held May 11 from 7 a.m. until 11 a.m., this is an all you can eat spread that includes ham, eggs, hot cakes, orange juice, milk, coffee or tea. The prices are $7 for adults, seniors $6, children 5-12 $5, and children 4 years and younger $1.</p><p>Where can you beat that? and, advanced tickets sales are just $5. For those wonderful advanced sale tickets call Pat Sellinger at 826-7980 or ask any Kiwanis Club member. This whole weekend is a great event and I know it will help make your holiday memorable. </p><p><b>Happy birthday wishes </b> To our very dear friend, Don Glenn, a gentleman with a heart of a giant, we all love you.</p><p><b>This and that</b></p><p>A big congratulations to my granddaughter Amanda MacMillan Gonzales on passing her CBEST with flying colors. We are so proud of you Mandy.</p><p>I got to meet Elvis, and then, Elvis was out of the building. When I speak of Elvis, I speak of an adorable black and white toy poodle with personality to spare that my little Epiphany would just swoon for. What a cutie pie, and a lover, wow! Thanks to his pet, Dr. Dan Tess for letting him come visit me. </p><p><b>Special girls honored </b> One of the pleasures of being a Soroptimist is being able to honor some of the wonderful students we have at Los Ba&#241;os High School with our Student of the Month Award. </p><p>At our meeting of April 28th we honored three worthy students that were introduced by Grace Taylor. Whitney Lopez, who is first in her junior class, was accompanied by her proud mother, Julie Lopez. Whitney told the group that she knew that education was the key to success and that she strives to be a role model to others. She described her mother as her hero with such eloquence that there were few dry eyes in the room. </p><p>The school's president of the History Society, she seeks to become an orthodontist at the end of her education. Mekleet Aytenfsu, a highly successful junior at Los Ba&#241;os High was accompanied by her mother, Addie Begashaw. Mekleet is very active in music and theater within the school as well as being part of the amazing SHOUT! Arts group. Mekleet said she was grateful to God for the people who had been placed in her life and hoped to help one day to change the world. Her dreams are to be an attorney. The third student, Mycelia Neeb was unable to attend but was represented her very proud father, Tom Neeb, director of special projects for the Los Ba&#241;os Unified School District. Neeb said his daughter is a kind and wonderful student who does a lot of good for others "under the radar." He charmed the Soroptimist by saying that if he were as handsome as his daughter was beautiful we would want him to attend all our meetings (Tom you are welcome anytime). We hear so often about our troubled youth, how fantastic it was to honor these students who are filled with such great promise. </p><p><b>One time only</b></p><p>This is my sad Mother's Day story. I tell it because of the big F, G, and B words of: forgiveness, guilt and blame. This true story, had a high price, but if it makes anyone slower to blame, it will have served some purpose.</p><p>My father's family was a large traditional Catholic clan that celebrated everything together. Every holiday was played out at the matriarch and patriarch's large home with a cast of hundreds (or so at least it seemed). Fourth of July, Christmas, Easter, Fathers Day, Thanksgiving, Mother's Day are all held at the huge three-story home without exception. Until that one year. </p><p>The family was spreading out, many moving out from the Detroit, Mich. area into the far suburbs, and as happens within any growing family, children were getting older and activities were clashing with schedules. Just this one time only, Aunt Jenny bravely offered, why don't we all celebrate Mother's Day at our own homes? Oh, there were sighs of relief in some households, and protests in others, but it was for one time only, so what was the big deal it was argued. Aunt Jenny began to worry, and wondered what would her in-laws be doing for Mother's Day if everyone else was celebrating at their own home. So she invited them to her home, just a few hours away. You can see it coming can't you? Like in a movie when you just know what the next scene will be and you almost hate to look? On the way home that Mother's Day, my grandparent's car was hit by a Greyhound bus. My grandfather was killed instantly, my grandmother never fully recovered. That is a tragedy. But the aftermath was a tragedy as well. It was not just the accident the collision had been, it was due to words. Blame flared its head, spitting accusations while guilt festered and animosity grew. The entire family became embroiled in the pull and tugs of responsibility, which seemed to be so much more fulfilling to them than forgiveness and compassion. Aunt Jenny and Uncle Tom ended up divorcing over it, siblings stopped talking to each other, and it became our own version of the Civil War. The family never healed. Even now, 50 years later, I think of that fateful day. We all lost that day but I learned as well. Blame is just too expensive, even if it is for one time only. </p><p><b>One time only, another view</b></p><p>I get a real kick out of the sales that say "one time only" that seem to pop up at the same store every other week, or commercials on televisions that proclaim a special super duper offer that will never, ever, ever be repeated, until next time. You know what really is a one time only deal? Today. I can absolutely guarantee you it will not ever be on sale again, not even on eBay. So enjoy it while its nice and fresh, and until next time, may all your news be good news.