Some people just say "Jesus!" when they are surprised, shocked, or dismayed by something. Some say "Oh my God!" Some even say "bloody hell!" or "Ack!" or "WTF?" But when I told my mom I still didn't have medical insurance, her response was, "Jesus in a freakin' push-up bra! This is important!"

My mom is pleasantly odd on a day to day basis. She once introduced herself as "da ho bitch" to all my friends at my college graduation party and tried to sit on all my male friends' laps. She once bought my friend Steve underwear. She calls the game Pictionary "Is It a Penis?" because that is always her first question no matter who's drawing what; somehow it never gets old. Once she even peed in the K-Mart parking lot, oblivious to who was watching.

It is really nice to have a mother who isn't uptight, who has a bizarre sense of humor, who doesn't worry about whether people think she's weird. I have her to thank for my pride in my individuality. So she may nag me once in a while (or more); so she may make some of my friends' parents dislike our family because we're not traditional; so she never cooks anymore and gets a thrill out of wearing no panties under her dress. Jesus in a freakin' push-up bra, who cares about that stuff? Not me.