I am so incredibly blessed to have such an awesome mother! She has been such an inspiration to myself and my siblings, keeping us motivated and in line when need be.

From singing us to sleep when we were infants, to reading us stories as kids; from guiding us through our teens, to help through life's biggest milestones as an adult, there's no doubt about it... Mom's always right!

Fenech Pictures
Fenech Pictures
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I was bullied a lot in school, and my mom did her best to help me get through some pretty rough days. I'll never forget the day someone stole my bike from the bike rack at school. The front tire and chain were there, but the rest of the bike was gone. After a long walk home, I remember my mom comforting me for what seemed like hours.

Then there was the time that I almost burned our garage down trying to recreate the fire trails from 'Back To The Future'. That was one of those 'keeping me in line' moments, however I did learn how to use a fire extinguisher that day!

My mom and dad come from two completely different family backgrounds. While my dad's family comes across as more of one family unit filled with love and togetherness, my mom's family has some issues that need not be mentioned. My point is that my mom's goodness, empathy, caring, and compassion were almost an anomaly within her family tree. Not that her family was incapable or unable to be caring and compassionate, they just usually chose to be selfish and greedy instead. That's why despite her hyphenated married name, that woman is all Fenech!

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As wonderful as being a Fenech is, it does come with a major character flaw. We are too trusting, and too giving when it comes to friendships. I've been burned several times by people who I thought were my friends, allowing them to take advantage of me. As I have gotten older and have my own kids, I encourage their kindness, but I also tell them to make sure that people don't take advantage of that kindness. I also tell them that friends may come and go, but your family is forever.

When we went to visit my parents a few months ago, one of my mom's friend was staying with them. She had a rough time in Michigan, so she moved to Florida in an attempt to start over. My mom put her up for what was supposed to be just a few months until she could get on her feet and her own place.

The problem was that night after night when my mom's friend (let's call her Wendy) came home, she would moan and groan about everything from not being able to find a place to live, not being able to find another part-time job; she'd even complain about Florida and the people there in general. She wasn't exactly yelling at my mom every night, but she was yelling to her.

The level of negativity that follows that woman was ridiculous, and she inadvertently passes that negativity on to anyone and everyone within a 50 foot radius whether you wanted it or not. During our visit, and after Wendy threw a tantrum like a teenager forbidden from going to prom, my daughter asked me, "Dada, why was [Wendy] yelling at Gigi (my mom's nickname from the kids)?"

Fenech Pictures
Fenech Pictures
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It really bothered me that Wendy would use the woman who game me life as an emotional punching bag. What made it worse was that my 7-year-old called her out on it. After thinking about the situation for a few days, I decided to confront Wendy about her nightly rant sessions with my mother.

I love my mom, and seeing her cry breaks my heart. As a kid I felt so helpless when I saw her cry. Now that I am an adult, I wasn't about to head home without doing something, and I did. I'm proud of myself for sticking up for my mom, and also proud of my mom, for raising me so that I would do the right thing.

I won't get into details as far as what I told Wendy.  But I basically told her that my mom and dad have done so much to help her, and she should be able to talk calmly to my mom about her frustrations, without making my mom feel like crap by venting, yelling and screaming. I also told her that the Fenech family as a whole love her and want nothing but the best for her. I said a few more things, but that's between me and Wendy.

Fenech Pictures
Fenech Pictures
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Following my little talk with her, Wendy's vicious rants came to an abrupt end. She was originally supposed to be out on her own by the end of last year, but there she was in the middle of March. I am also pleased to announce that Wendy has finally found a place to stay, and my parents finally have their home to themselves again.

Happy Mothers' Day, Mom!  Love you most!

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