Why All The Fuss About Kathryn?

May is for celebrating mothers, so it seems fitting to share reasons for the big fuss about my mother, Kathryn Hess, and my 60-mile ride.

I celebrate my mother's 50 years of unwavering resourcefulness as a single parent/grandparent. Resourceful is the perfect description for her! At age 35 when she was suddenly widowed with 5 young children, Mom sacrificed much to provide a stable and secure life for us! Without thought of personal comforts, she dressed turkeys for other families’ Thanksgiving tables; rose early to cut, clean and peddle asparagus; and managed a work crew in tomato harvest for Campbell’s Soup Co. In the dead of winter, she forked silage to feed our beef cattle (once with such vigor she penned herself in the silo until one of us kids heard her shouts). She bantered with cattlemen and managed stock investments with confidence. Motivated by a strong desire to provide a “good life” for us, she appeared to love all work and have endless energy.

I celebrate my mother's belief in Biblical adage - “it is better to give than to receive.” Generosity is her code word for happiness! It takes a quick response to outwit her for the tab when dining out. I greatly appreciate this generous spirit plus her unselfish hospitality. All are welcomed to her table. Even as a busy young widow, serving Sunday guests at a table laden with an abundance of tasty delights, was her mainstay. To say she has hosted 1000's of guests is not presumptous.

My mother is a hard one to thank! It's nearly impossible to give her a gift without receiving something in return. But finally, in my 60th year, I've found a way by doing this 60-mile ride to honor her and to raise funds for other single mothers who do not have the strong extended family and church community support that surrounded me and my family. (Maybe I did learn something about resourcefulness from Mom!)

Mother's can-do spirit is alive and well even in her 87th year! Last week when discussing how far she will ride with me, a distance of about one mile, she emphatically declared, "riding only 1 mile isn't worth getting on the bike!" Mother's goal is to ride 5 or even 10 miles with me. Her dogged determination keeps her active and motivated to reach out beyond herself even now and sensible or not, she's ready to push herself in new ways.

So a ruckus thank you for my mom's faith, love, generosity and unwavering resourcefulness is what's behind the fuss about my 60 mile ride in her honor. That and my dream to raise $60,000 for homeless and at-risk single mothers who lack the social, emotional, spiritual and physical resources that blessed my mother’s life as a single parent these past 50 years.

Let me know you're riding with me and I'll add you to the list!