I THOUGHT I WAS TOO BUSY
Go Call Your Mom LLC was started by me, Matt Kelly, a guy who lives in Chicago and has spent his adult life working in Corporate America.
I used to think I was too busy to call my parents. When I did call, we usually talked about me. What was happening at work? What was new in my life?
I loved my parents, but I wasn’t asking the questions that would help me truly know them.
When my dad died, I learned more about his life from my mom than I had learned while he was here. I wrote this obituary to honor him. I wish I had asked him more about his life before he passed. Here’s the obituary I wrote to honor my dad’s life.
MAKING THE CALL
After Dad died, I started calling Mom every day so she wouldn’t feel alone.
At first, it felt unnatural. I didn’t know what two people could possibly talk about every day. I wasn’t used to calling anyone that often.
Then the calls changed.
Mom told me about the darkest and lightest moments of her life. I told her about mine, although she already knew most of them. She had been there through all of it.
What began as something I did for my mom became something I needed, too. The call became a ritual, a habit and a connection. Now it feels as natural as brushing my giant teeth.
In 2023, while continuing my work in communications, I went through a midlife reset and learned how to make sneakers. It seemed healthier than buying a motorcycle.
Eventually, I made a pair for my mom. Every lesson, mistake and ounce of love I had went into those shoes.
That pair became the beginning of Go Call Your Mom.
It is legally an LLC now and yes, it makes clothing. But the clothing carries the reminder. The reminder is the point.
The stories, products and conversations all exist for the same reason: to help us stop waiting and reach for the people who matter while we still can.
The world doesn’t need another brand. It needs a reminder.
Go call your mom.
A REMINDER, NOT A BRAND
