Marian R. Scharnow

June 5, 1931-Jan. 31, 2014

Being a dad myself, there is no shame in saying that moms just seem extra special, sometimes for reasons that are difficult to explain…

The TV cameras are much more ubiquitous these days, but I got a kick out of those big football players who suddenly had the spotlight turned on them and mouthed the words “Hi mom!”

Some of those Campbell’s Chunky Soup commercials feature big NFL hunks like Clay Matthews and – who else? – their moms (or actress moms).

Every once in a while I’ll see a reader out in the community and they’ll compliment me for a recent column. My response? “Hey, thanks, now I have two fans – you and my mom.”

Truth be told, my dad used to read The Fountain Hills Times more religiously than my mom. He kept up with local politics a little bit and, when he’d come to town, he enjoyed seeing the new developments and projects that he read about in the paper.

But mom was always the one to clip out a column dear to her heart or maybe a picture of “her baby” that she saw in the paper.

Mom was always the “go to” parent for conversation, advice and consolation. Dad was a big believer in small talk and then rather quickly handing the phone over to mom, who was willing to dig a little to get the real scoop.

Mom would ask how things were going at work, at home, with the kids, with my always-failing weight loss plans…

Even though mom didn’t agree with all my life decisions – and let me know about it! – mom also was the first one to move on, to be supportive and to show that unconditional love when perhaps “I told you so!” would have been much more appropriate.

One of the local persons who sent me a sympathy card last week was Marcia Clark, who lost her husband Frank just a few years ago…

She claims to not have my “gift for words,” but I think she sells herself short.

“The loss of a mom is such a difficult thing to face,” she wrote me.

“Our moms cheered us on for that first tooth, first step and first day of school. Many of our early core values came from our moms.

“You had your mom well into adulthood, and that makes you so blessed. Give her, with joy, to God.”

Marcia, that is spoken like a true mom…you are right, I was blessed to have mom around all these years, even though for the past three decades I’ve lived in Arizona. Mom didn’t know why I’d want to move so far away in 1983, but she remained my biggest cheerleader, just like Marcia said, even 2,000 miles away.

A son couldn’t ask for more than that…

Mom was able to experience the thrills (and chills) of two children, six grandchildren and even two great-grandchildren.

I know she felt blessed by her family, and I can only hope to pass that legacy down to my children (and maybe grandchildren, but not quite yet!).

Go with God, mom, and rest peacefully with dad. You deserve it.