Story About my Mom from Yesterday's Chicago Tribune

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-070513schmich-column,1,1835262.column?page=1&coll=chi-opinionfront-hed

Others who mothered get their thanks

Published May 13, 2007

My brother's childhood friend Gerard recently sent my mother a $1,000 check as thanks for her kindness to him when he was growing up.

I wrote about it a couple of Sundays ago and asked readers for similar stories of women besides their mothers who treated them with special care when they were young. Here are just a few of those tales, with thanks to everyone who wrote in about their "other mothers."

My mom died of cancer when I was 14. I was jealous of every girl who had their mom. We had a neighbor who took it upon herself to become my second mother. Her name is Cheri Linnig.

She helped me with the teenage tears. She had me over just to sit and talk for hours. She helped plan my wedding. After I was married and the babies were not coming like hers did (QUICK), she let me cry on her shoulder. When I finally was able to conceive, you would have thought she was the grandmother to be. She came to the hospital and brought the outfit for my firstborn to wear home.

Terri Miller