There is nothing I love more than my role as a mom.
I was brought up by a single mom in a poor town in Arkansas and while some aspects of small-town life were really positive - like the fact that everyone there is really sweet and hospitable - there is also this close-minded mentality and that naturally made me want to rebel.
Aretha Franklin was a teenage mom a musician who came from an incredibly Christian background but there was a lot of love which is really inspiring in a feminist way.
After my mom died there was so much written about her fashion and her style and all that and I felt that one of the most important parts of her was missing her real intellectual curiosity.
I must admit even though I'm the product of two Jewish parents I think the Irish temper got in there somewhere so I'm going to check Mom's genealogy.
Every time I think I have something under control it changes and I don't have it under control. I think it takes several years to get there. Jade is 19 months old so right now I'm on alert all the time. And as a mom I think you're constantly worrying about things.
As far as I'm concerned there's no job more important on the planet than being a mom.
My mom used to make everything. She had a great garden and composted and made everything from scratch - peanut butter bread jelly everything. I don't know how she did it because all those things take time and love and labour. I only do half the stuff she does - but there's still time.
And the greatest lesson that mom ever taught me though was this one. She told me there would be times in your life when you have to choose between being loved and being respected. Now she said to always pick being respected.
My mom God rest her soul - she liked nicknames. In the womb she named me Skip. There was another black guy in Piedmont W.Va. and his name was Skip. They called him Big Skip and I was Little Skip.
The best situation is being a single parent. The best part about is that you get time off too because the kids are with their mom so it's the best of both worlds. There's a lot to be said for it.
As a mom I know that raising children is the hardest job there is.
My mom and I have always been there for each other. We had some tough times but she was always there for me.
I remember watching the Grammys and looking at the performances and crying to my mom saying how much I wanted to be there.
Thankfully I have my mom and a small group of close friends who are there for me 24/7 and whom I can trust and depend on.
When love is gone there's always justice. And when justice is gone there's always force. And when force is gone there's always Mom. Hi Mom!
My mom and I have always been really close. She's always been the friend that was always there. There were times when in middle school and junior high I didn't have a lot of friends. But my mom was always my friend. Always.