A landmark year in contest history. For the first time, two students were selected as Orange County diamond winners.
Year Highlights
The second year witnessed remarkable growth as 1,425 children shared why their mothers deserved a diamond. Every page preserves a heartfelt moment between a child and the person who helped shape their life.
Year Highlights
Why You'll Love This Edition As participation expanded, so did the diversity of stories, emotions, and unforgettable expressions of love. This volume captures the contest's earliest momentum and growing impact.
“What a gift to the world! Thank you from the bottom of a teacher’s heart!” -Darlene Jagger , teacher.
“The mother of all Mother’s contests.” The Orange County Register.
In 1993, Diamond Mike Watson founded a writing contest in honor of his adoptive mother and the birthmother he had never known. The most creative contestant would receive a diamond. A girl named Margaret claimed her grand prize diamond. Like buried treasure, her enchanting poem sparkled deep within the mound of entries.
Since then, hundreds of thousands of kids have submitted words of love to the Why Mom Deserves a Diamond® contest. The contest is now in honor of all moms, and all those significant in our lives.
Year Highlights“Tell Michael Watson why your mom deserves a diamond, and he might just give you one.” Orange County Register.
“Diamond Mike’s optimism is contagious, leaving students and teachers inspired to look upon any goal as attainable.” Cristina Barber. MacArthur Fundamental. Santa Ana.
“Thank you for again giving me this opportunity to enrich my students’ learning experience.” Susie Spargur. Chapman Hills Elementary. Orange.
“(Our students) will never forget your charisma and inspiring story!” Keeley Hayashi. Thomas Jefferson Elementary. Anaheim.
“You have made a difference in so many young lives – and a few old ones too.” June McCartin. Eastbluff Elementary. Newport Beach.
Blending memoir and inspiring stories, the book serves as a historical record of the contest itself. It includes a complete listing of every Diamond Winner since the inaugural contest in 1993, a timeline of photographs, the Fly Up program that encourages students to fully live their potential, and fascinating word-statistic charts revealing how generations of children described the people they love most. Together, these features provide a unique record into the language and expressions of young writers.
The Legend of Why Mom Deserves a Diamond celebrates the lasting influence of parents, teachers, and the written word. It reminds readers that appreciation is one of life's greatest gifts.
The book also shows the evolution of the FlyUp program, in which Diamond Mike has lectured to thousands of school kids about achieving their dreams.
A great keepsake for adults, teachers, children, and every parent of a Why Mom Deserves a Diamond gemstone winner.
The most precious gift is not a diamond placed in a mother's hand- it is the words spoken from a child's heart. Diamond Mike Watson.
By 1995, more than 2,000 children had joined the celebration. The essays became shorter, more powerful, and even more memorable.
Year Highlights
Why You'll Love This Edition This collection demonstrates how a few heartfelt words can carry enormous meaning. Every essay is a snapshot of gratitude frozen in time.
Order Today Own a piece of the contest's formative years.
A Legendary Story of Perseverance.
Moon Over Mountains: The Search for Mom is a powerful memoir of adoption and the lifelong quest to discover one's origins. In this deeply personal narrative, Diamond Mike Watson recounts his twenty-year search for the woman who gave him life.
The end of his journey revealed a shocking discovery: his birthmother had died before he could find her. Before her death, she carried a secret to her grave- her baby was stillborn. For nearly four decades, while a family grieved a child they believed had never lived, that child was alive, searching for a family who never knew he existed.
Born in Indianapolis in 1958 and adopted at three days old, Watson was raised by loving adoptive parents in Southern Indiana. Although he felt loved, two questions forever haunted him - Who am I and where did I come from?
Beginning as a teenager armed with only his birthmother's name, a hospital bill, and a long-forgotten address, Watson embarks on a decades-long journey of dead ends and sealed records. His quest for one person transforms into the remarkable reunion of an entire family separated by decades of secrecy and loss.
Moon Over Mountains also offers insight into the history of closed adoptions in America and the challenges adoptees face when seeking access to their own records. Blended with lessons about forgiveness and the unconditional right to know where we came from, the memoir is enriched by vivid childhood memories and humorous adventures. Readers interested in adoption memoirs and family history will find this book deeply moving.
At its heart, Moon Over Mountains is a story of love -the love of a mother who raised a child, the love of a woman who made the difficult decision of relinquishment, and the love that inspires a son to spend a lifetime searching for the truth.
The conclusion of Watson's journey unfolds into the beginning of yet another- the search for his missing sister, Deborah Kay.
Moon Over Mountains continues to be an unparalleled chronicle of human spirit and a testament that all things are possible through intention and perseverance.
More than 5,000 essays poured in from children eager to honor their mothers.
Year Highlights
Why You'll Love This Edition The voices in this volume are heartfelt, humorous, and often surprisingly profound. It showcases a tradition rapidly becoming part of the community.
Positive words are living things. When written, they become real. When spoken, they have the power to heal, encourage, and inspire. Throughout our lives, we remember the beautiful words spoken to us. -Diamond Mike Watson.
Order Today A beautiful keepsake from a year of explosive growth.
“The contest is the most selfless and encouraging I have experienced. On behalf of all the teachers, students, moms, and extended families whose lives you have touched, thank you.” Hilda Sugarman, president. Fullerton Excellence In Education Foundation.
Entering the new millennium, this anthology reflects unprecedented participation and enthusiasm.
Year Highlights
Why You'll Love This Edition A remarkable time capsule capturing hopes, dreams, and family values at the dawn of a new century.
Order Today One of the most sought-after editions in the series.
“You have made a positive impact in thousands of children's lives in the way you wanted to honor all mothers." -Grenadier Horizon.
“The mission: Encourage kids to appreciate their mothers.” -Costa Mesa Breeze.
1998 marked a historic breakthrough as the contest expanded beyond Orange County.
Year Highlights
Why You'll Love This Edition This book captures the moment a local tribute transformed into a national movement.
Order Today An essential volume for collectors of contest history.
A national phenomenon emerges. Participation surges as the contest is expanded to Indiana, Texas, and the entire state of California.
Year Highlights
Why You'll Love This Edition The stories become broader, richer, and more representative of families from every background.
Order Today Experience the year the contest firmly established its national presence.
“A happy, heart-felt, almost super-human endeavor for a company who wants kids to be sure to tell their moms that they love them.” -Dorothy Jean, Writer.
Thousands of children took time to reflect on the women who shaped their lives.
Year Highlights
Why You'll Love This Edition The essays reveal powerful expressions of appreciation that remain timeless today.
Order Today A treasured volume celebrating the enduring bond between mother and child.
“The greatest tribute to mom in the nation.” -Instore Magazine.“A gift no amount of money can buy.” -The Orange County Register.