My Mom is the best

[ochotona]

How many other 85 year old grandmothers do you know who can intelligently engage in a discussion on gold mining stocks? And she does her own research on the Internet? She's amazing.

But then I looked at the charts of gold mining stocks versus gold and I wondered... what does she even OWN GG?  I have to do some more talking to her...

[Mark Leavy]

No, MY mom is the best
She fixed my son when I had no idea what to do.

So I send her some gold every month.

[stuper1]

She fixed my son when I had no idea what to do.

Do you care to elaborate?  Just curious as a fellow parent with a teenage son and wanting to be as ready as possible for whatever interesting situations might be headed our way.

[Mark Leavy]

Do you care to elaborate?

I was a single dad from from the time my son was 12.  My son is bright, well read, athletic and (at the time) completely unmotivated to do anything.  By the time he was 17, I was seriously worried about his future.  He wasn't into any kind of trouble (other than normal teenage boy stuff), just no signs of forward progress.

My mom told me to send him to her for a visit one summer.  After a week or so, he asks her when he is going home.  She told him that he could go back home to dad whenever he wanted.  By bus, or airplane or train.  But bus would be the cheapest.  How much money do you have?

After the realization sunk in, he was not a happy camper.  She set him up with a job as an assistant to the local pool cleaner, and by the end of the summer he had his bus ticket - and some money to spare.  That was 10 years ago, and he is a fine young man now and complains about the lack of motivation in the people that work for him - and he loves his grandmother dearly.

[Mountaineer]

Do you care to elaborate?

I was a single dad from from the time my son was 12.  My son is bright, well read, athletic and (at the time) completely unmotivated to do anything.  By the time he was 17, I was seriously worried about his future.  He wasn't into any kind of trouble (other than normal teenage boy stuff), just no signs of forward progress.

My mom told me to send him to her for a visit one summer.  After a week or so, he asks her when he is going home.  She told him that he could go back home to dad whenever he wanted.  By bus, or airplane or train.  But bus would be the cheapest.  How much money do you have?

After the realization sunk in, he was not a happy camper.  She set him up with a job as an assistant to the local pool cleaner, and by the end of the summer he had his bus ticket - and some money to spare.  That was 10 years ago, and he is a fine young man now and complains about the lack of motivation in the people that work for him - and he loves his grandmother dearly.

What a wonderful story.  Your mom is a very wise woman.  In my Lutheran terminology, that was very much a Law and Gospel story. 

... Mountaineer

[dualstow]

Great story, Mark!

[stuper1]

Thanks, Mark.  That sounds a lot like my 14 year old son.  Hopefully, he'll get motivated at some point also.

Now, I'm curious about the second half of what you said.  You send her gold every month?  As in bullion?

[Mark Leavy]

Now, I'm curious about the second half of what you said.  You send her gold every month?  As in bullion?

No, just riffing on the original post.  I send her a check every month to help with her fixed income.  I have thought about the possible tax loopholes in just sending her one or two "$50.00" coins every month.  But that is more trouble than either one of us need.  Even though she would probably think that was fun - and we both think we are pirates

[stuper1]

It sounds like you are both lucky to have each other.  Sorry for being so nosy.  It did cross my mind that maybe you were riffing, but I couldn't help asking, because I thought it would be pretty interesting if you did send her actual gold.