Matheny Celebrates Son's Birth

Wednesday, May 5,2010

By: YES! Weekly Staff

"A Mother's Love"

Geneal Matheny had just left the Women's Hospital after the birth of her son, Zack's firstborn. Zack Matheny, a Greensboro city councilman, is also the stepfather of Cameron, 9, whose permission he obtained to marry his wife, Lauran.

William Zachery Matheny was born on April 30 by Cesarean section. With Zack and Lauran resting at the hospital, the proud grandmother went back to the house to take care of things. Geneal described Zack as the "baby" in the family. Her second son, Matt, has two children, 6 and 1. The arrival of her third grandchild is just as exciting as the first two.

"It was just like it was with the first one," Geneal said. "It's an - do you have children? - it's just unbelievable the love you have for them. That's the same way for a grandparent. "We know those parents have to be responsible for them," she added, "and we get to spoil them."

Growing up as the youngest of three brothers in Statesville, Zack has been a natural leader, a sensitive companion and a protector for as long as his mother can remember.

"Zack has always been a people person, never met a stranger," Geneal said. "Wherever he would go, he knew everybody. I knew he would be a leader, I just didn't know he would go into politics. He has always had a following, one of those types of people who has that charisma. He is every mother's dream." Zack was the boy who organized the other children to go play water polo at the swimming pool. He played tennis and basketball.

Geneal's description of the future councilman as a boy might sound familiar to his constituents, who have heard him passionately describe the sense of vulnerability felt by young mothers at aggressive solicitors and panhandlers, seen him show up for community meetings when residents are alarmed by burglaries and homicides, and has witnessed the way he works with competing constituencies such as developers and downtown business owners.

"He is very sensitive, very intuitive to what you're feeling, and what other people might need to have to comfort them or to better their life," Geneal said. "He is very protective of me. He makes sure his mother is taken care of, that she doesn't go and want foranything."

Competitive and eager to make a mark, Zack Matheny is the very definition of driven.

"I was an elementary school teacher," Geneal said. "That was instilled in me by my parents that you were put here for a reason and you do the best at what you're doing. His other grandparents were the same way. I am very passionate. He got that from me. His dad's passionate too, about life. I think he gets his strength from me. I think that's true of a lot of mothers."

During a difficult period of Geneal's life when Zack was still in high school, he went out of his way to be there for her.

"He will call on a regular basis to make sure I was okay," Geneal said. "He might just stay home a little more before he went our with his friends in high school. He would always call to let me know he was all right. I'm a worrier."

The story Zack's family always likes to tell is about how he got lost at a Wake Forest University football game when he was 4 years old. His parents came down from the field house and found Zack in a parking lot full of Winnebago recreational vehicles. Having made some new friends he was sitting in a chair and eating.

"I wasn't worried," Zack said. "I knew you'd find me."

Looking back, more than 30 years later, Geneal said of her son: "He's one of those resourceful people. He analyzes what's going on, what he needs to do, and then he takes care of it."

The day after his son's birth, Zack and his mother went back to the house so he could take a quick shower.

The father, husband and councilman showed off the small vegetable plot where he's growing tomatoes, basil and rosemary to set a good example for Cameron about self-sufficiency. He gave a tour of the house, opening the door to Cameron's room, and gesturing towards the bunk beds where his stepson sleeps, purchased by Zack's parents when he was a child.

The room at the end of the hall doubles as a nursery and guest room.

A painting by Lauran hangs above the crib.

Cameron has also made some drawings for the family's newest member that hang in frames in the nursery. Far from feeling anxious about his place in the family, Cameron demonstrates with the drawings that he takes his responsibilities as big brother seriously.

One shows Cameron riding a giraffe, with baby Will behind him in a bucket seat. Another depicts Cameron as Sheriff Woody and Will as Buzz Lightyear from the Toy Story franchise, and says, "Have sweet dreams."