My mother used to accompany me whenever I had to give a speech out of town. On one such occasion, as we were registering at the front desk, we heard quite a commotion in the lobby. Curious, we looked to see the cause of the commotion and saw him--this blonde Greek-god-like creature, surrounded by a gaggle of giggling girls. It was none other than the fabulous Fabio, he of television margarine-advertisement fame.

Even the pragmatist, I turned back to the clerk to finish registering. Not so my mother, the opportunist. She being Italian and Fabio the same, she waddled over to where he stood, gently pushing the young women out of her way. Of course, she gave her leeway--she was a sweet ravioli of a woman, white-haired and arthritic, and clearly hug-gable.

When she reached him, she tapped him on the shoulder and announced she wanted her picture taken with him. By this time, I was right behind her with the camera. Just as I was about to snap the two of them, I actually heard my 80-year-old mother coo. "Oh, Fabio," she purred in a voice sultry enough to match Marilyn Monroe's. "You're better than butter."

As laughter erupted throughout the lobby, he bent down and kissed her. And that's the image I have preserved. It reminds me of the need to seize the opportunity and not stand back as part of the gaggle.

In this and ever so many other ways, she has shown me that "an ounce of mother is worth a pound of professor."

Dr. Marlene Caroselli, author of 53 business books (see Amazon.com) is an international keynote speaker and corporate trainer for Fortune 100 companies, government agencies, educational institutions, and professional organizations. You can reach her at mccpd@frontiernet.net .