"It's the most wonderful time of the year..."
No, not Christmas, silly: Mother's Day! Wahoooooooooooooo!
Whether the Mother's Day Conspiracy Theory is accurate or not (that the "card companies" created it to boost card sales), I cannot say. But, I am happy to celebrate Mother's Day. And I'm super glad that there's one time a year when I can consider the influence my mom (and other moms in my life) have had on me.
One reason I believe everyone should have children is that I'm not sure you ever completely understand what your parents "went through" to raise you until you are on the other side of the relationship equation.
I know that's the case for me--until I became a mom, I really only saw my mom through the "daughter" lens.
But once I became a mom, I immediately felt this shift in my perception. Yes, I still see her with the "daughter" lens, but I also see her with "friend and mentor" lenses. And honestly, I appreciate her SO MUCH MORE. I think my love for her grew 10-fold once I became a mom (lucky for her I became a mom--LOL!).
Here are the Things I Love About my Mom:
(No, this isn't my entry for the grocery store My Mother; My Hero Essay Contest.")
* She loves learning and teaching.
(This is probably the main reason I wanted to be a teacher. My mom is like the Oprah of our family. She's constantly reading, learning, and trying new things. And she's constantly challenging us to do the same.)
* She's inspirational.
(People are drawn to my mom. She makes you feel better about yourself anytime you are near her.)
* She's insanely dedicated.
(In my whole life, I can think of possibly two or three days my mom missed work: 1) The time she got hit in the mouth with a bottlerocket at a 4th of July party. 2) The time she broke her foot at a nude beach. No, not what it sounds like. She was watching hang-gliders on the cliffs above the nude beach--and twisted her ankle. Probably your neck, too, huh mom? 3) The time she got the Hong-Kong flu without ever traveling to Hong-Kong. )
* She's my dad's best friend.
(I never doubted that my parents were best friends. In fact, as an adult, I kind of see them as one entity. Funny.)
* She plays for the hometeam.
(You know how some people are the first to "throw their kids under the bus"? If there's a broken window, they're like, "oh, I'm sure my kid did that!" My mom is the opposite of that. There's no doubt who's team she's on. No question where her allegiance lies: with the family. She always always believed in us. She always saw the best in us--even when we weren't showing the best.)
* She's a great cook.
(Spaghetti with pork chops, chicken and sausage? Who thinks of that? Yum-O!)
* She's an optimist.
(The glass isn't only half-full, there are free refills with my mom. I think my dad would agree that this makes being "down" fairly frustrating. My mom can completely suck the wind out of your "poor me" sails. But, it's actually something I appreciate. I may not always employ her optimism to all situations, but I do appreciate it. And, without sounding disrespectful to my posterity, her optimism is even more incredible when you realize it's NOT genetic. My mom was a butterfly, and her parents were, well, not butterflies. She made the choice to be happy early in her life. I'm guessing by about age 3 she had decided--despite circumstances, she would choose to believe/hope for the best. Period.)
* She taught me to love hairspray.
(You know how sometimes you smell a perfume and say, "that smells like my grandma"? Well for me it's aerosol hairspray that takes me back to my childhood. No matter where I am, if I walk into a fog of hairspray, I take a look around for my mom.)
* She's taught me to be in the moment.
(My mom is pretty much always present. If the grandkids are there, she's coloring with them. If she's listening to a client at work, she's listening to the client. It's selfless and so generous. She's never wishes she were anywhere but where she is at that moment.)
There are so many more things I could add, but really, I just want to tell you I love you and appreciate you, Mom. I'm grateful to be your daughter.
Have a Happy Mother's Day.
BTW: You're gonna have to write a poem to top this, Dane. Tag--you're IT! JK.
