Although the title is passed around in many households this time of year, there actually is an award for world’s greatest mom. It’s a statue of a man, for some reason, but it’s still an impressive title. Which is why the Aahs Engraving Company in Los Angeles cranks out nearly 10,000 of these trophies every year.
That means at least 10,000 kids know the world’s greatest mom. I thought my kids knew, too – I mean, it’s always been obvious to me – but when I invited them into my office, cameras rolling, to record their choice…they were stumped.
“We have absolutely no clue who that is,” George said.
“It’s the world’s greatest mom,” Emmett said.
“Could be in Africa,” Meryl suggested.
Finding her would be a needle in a haystack, they said – but they suggested I start by reaching out to our Kindness 101 students and On the Road educators to see if we could find any kids who think they know the world’s greatest mom.
“Yea, that’s ours,” two children said.
“What makes your mom the world’s best mom?” George asked.
“Our needs are met before her needs are met,” they said.
We talked to more than a dozen kids, and each one gave us a very convincing reason why their mom is the best.
“She tucks me in at night and she’s very loving,” one said. “She has a really big heart,” said another.
My crew was impressed, but still hard-pressed to pick a winner. When I asked if they heard the other kids say anything their mom didn’t have, Emmett said, “I actually didn’t, no.”
When I asked how to reconcile that, Meryl said, “Each kid could have a perfect mom for them.”
“Oooh, I like what you’re thinking,” Emmett said. “Maybe that’s why they make so many of those trophies – everybody has the world’s best mom for them.”
It was a lightbulb moment – that led to this Hallmark moment: “In my almost 10 years, I feel like I have adapted to think that this mom is the best mom,” Emmett said.
I can see the card now: “Dear mom, I have adapted to think you’re the world’s greatest.”
She’s gonna love it, because she loves everything about them — and that’s what makes her one of the many world’s greatest.
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