A letter and a labor of love from our son

"The mother's heart is the child's schoolroom."                                                           - Henry Ward Beecher

AUBURN, Maine — Words start wars, bring peace and can, on some occasions, make a 6-foot-3, 350-pound former football player weep.

My son penned a remarkable tribute to his mother on Mother's Day. His words knocked this gridiron center to the floor. I felt like I was sideswiped by a nose tackle after I just snapped the ball to my quarterback. 

This letter is one from the heart from a young man who means so much to his parents. I knew our high school sophomore could write, but when I reread it, I realized Anthony was paying us back with his genuine love for his mother.

I won't reveal the contents of his letter. It is personal and it is for our eyes only, and it is a keeper.

If parents are selfish, abusive and oblivious to a child's needs, kids will pay them back in full, and their revenge will last a lifetime.

I guarantee it. I have witnessed their anger in action, and it is damn ugly.

Whatever it is worth, our son is the product of a home where love, kindness and his needs come first. He is also an anachronism, if you will. We raised him with books, museums and long incursions into the Maine woods and endless days at the Pine Tree State's beautiful beaches. We shunned video games and cable television. We have found those mediums of entertainment a waste of our time.

So what did we get in return? Well, he has been to paying us back with great grades, kindness toward others and continues to demonstrate his belief in the greater good— something the U.S. Congress has apparently forgot about.

There is no luck here. Anthony's demeanor and thirst for knowledge has been nurtured by a mother who has her priorities straight when it comes to raising a child.

This mother has her act together and Anthony has become a one-man show in the classroom.

Anthony's letter is better than any store-bought card or extravagant gift.  It will be framed, and you can bet it will be sitting on Terri's dresser three decades from now. 

In the letter, Anthony said he will continue to be grateful to his mother for her love and devotion.

We are grateful he feels this way about an extraordinary person — his mom.