For my missus for Mother's Day (which should be every day)

Page 5

My wife is always leaving me. This might strike you readers as a little odd. I am not about to download about my marriage. That is not my point.

I just thought I would show you that I do have a sense of humor too!

Seriously, she goes on all these trips (and trust me it was hard to convince her to type this). She complains that she spends more time in airport lounges than she does in her own living room.

I remember the first time she left me. Our little girl Katie was only just a little bit more than a year old. Trisha, that's my wife, went to a racism conference at the UN. Trisha was one of two Canadian delegates at this conference and the only Aboriginal person there. She left me with this little girl. I was scared because she was just little. I didn't know how Katie would react because she had always been with her mom before, even when she travelled. Well, to my surprise, Katie and I were both fine.

Most of the time, the kids don't think that what their mom does is any kind of a deal. She is just their mom. Sometimes I have felt like my wife is just out there having fun, but, what she does with her education and her job is really always for the people. As a matter of fact, the kids were trying to understand this "other life" their mom has, just the other day.

It's not until they are about eight or nine years old that they begin to understand that not everybody's mom is on television.

It took me a long time to realize that my missus makes lots of sacrifices. She misses the kids really badly when she is away (and I like to think she misses me too!). The kids count sleeps. Jack, the baby who isn't much of a baby any more at age four, will say when he talks to her on the phone: "just two more sleeps, right mom? I can handle it." The missus has taught the kids that missing someone isn't bad. It just means that you love them. I think that's been an important lesson. We are always so happy when mom comes back. The kids all scream from the door and run for the car.

Usually they all pile on mom (there are five kids) before she can even get out of the car.

I know I am month early for Mother's Day. But that's how important mothers are. It's not a bad thing to be early about. I wasn't raised for all of my life by my mother. Actually, she died a long time ago. It has taken a long time, but I realize just how much of an impact that has had on me.

It's funny how life works out. If I had not had to spend time as the only parent at home with my kids, I might not have ever figured this out. It's funny how life works out in a good way, if you just let it.