ProRodeo Sports News - May 1, 2020

DIRECTOR’S CUT SCOTT KANIEWSKI

Be sure to reach out to mom in some capacity “My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her.” – GeorgeWashington S unday, May 10, is Mother’s Day. If you don’t have Facetime, Hangouts, Facebook Messenger. Heck, if you needed to, you could set up a Zoommeeting with Mom. The chance to call using cell phones, tablets and computers and talk to someone almost in person is amazing. Of course, many of our younger competitors have grown up with these capabilities, while many of our older members’ kids have grown up with those options. Throw in the quarantine issue and those apps become

it marked already, get it on your calendar – your digital calendar, your print calendar, the one with those cute puppies and beautiful sunsets that’s hanging on the wall almost more as a forgotten decoration than as something to remind you what day it is. We all know the relationship between Mom and her cowboys. She might not always be in the foreground, but she’s darn sure in the background. This Mother’s Day is going to have a different vibe. Heck, the whole world has a different vibe now. And that’s the reason this Mother’s Day is going to be more special than a lot of them. Hopefully most of you reading this will be celebrating with your moms in the comfort of your home or hers, surrounded by family. But for some of us that won’t be the case. With older moms we have to be safe and take their health into consideration.That’s the hard part, the balancing act.With the COVID-19 pandemic still weighing on plenty of minds, how do we know it’s OK to visit and letMomknow we love her? One of the greatest things about living in this technological age is how quick we can pick up a device and reach out and communicate with someone face to face –

Scott Kaniewski is the Media Director at the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. He previously served more than two years as the editor of ProRodeo Sports News. He has nearly two decades of experience in sports journalism, with the last few being consumed by ProRodeo.

that much more awe-striking. I haven’t seen my mom in over a month now, and it’s not because she lives on the other side of the country. She’s only 30 miles down the road. But at her age (no, Mom, I won’t reveal it) I wasn’t about to take a chance and put her at risk. With the amount of travel my colleagues and I did before quarantine set in, I would not want to endanger my mom after being around so many people. But thanks to technology, we’ve been able to visit each other in (virtual) person. Probably more importantly, she gets to see the grandkids. No, it’s not the same as hugging them or having them sit on your lap while you zone out during the fifth viewing of Despicable Me 3 , but it’s as good a replacement as we’re going to get until virtual reality is a readily available reality. Yes, video messaging in whatever capacity is stunning. But it’s nowhere close to as stunning as what our moms have pulled off in order to raise us. Let’s not forget that. Now, excuse me while I go set up a Zoommeeting for May 10. #StayHomeCowboyStrong

ProRodeo Sports News 5/1/2020

ProRodeo.com

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