It is only fitting that the description of all that is good in America is linked to a mother. “Mom and apple pie.” It’s a phrase that describes what is most pure or perfect about something. It is the quintessential metaphor for all that is good and true in life. Mom. Very few words evoke such feeling. Seeing the word or hearing the word floods us with emotion. And perhaps it all goes back to the idea that a mom does represent to us all that is good in life. Or at least what it should be. Kindness, strength, selflessness, ingenuity, courage, sensitivity, and love. These are the traits that draw us so near to our moms. Sure, many fall short. That is also life. But the truth is undeniable, the word “mom” makes us yearn for goodness and warmth and security and love. And it is in that yearning that we can celebrate and cherish all that make each person’s individual mom so special, so unique, and so unforgettable. But it is in that yearning that we also become more loving ourselves. The warmth within the yearning cannot help but radiate outward, even if just for a moment. The truth is we need to think of our moms more. Perhaps it’s a step to making the world a better place—a warmer, gentler place. Mom and apple pie. Both are warm, but only one will fill you for a lifetime. Both bring a smile to your face, but only one will bring a smile to your heart. The saying goes that if you have a pie with four slices, and you have five people, a mom will say she doesn’t like pie. And therein perhaps lies the essence. Mom and apple pie. Both come in the form of serving, but only one, just one, can purely serve.