My Mom- and Why I Want to be Just Like Her

In honor of Mother’s Day, I wanted to write a little something about what I’ve learned from my mom.

I could go on and on about my mom and her amazing qualities (as I’m sure most of you could about your own moms), but instead I want to share 3 stories that I feel shows the kind of mother she is and the kind of mother I want to be.

1. I loved climbing trees as a kid, and luckily my backyard had three huge ones that were perfect for climbing. One day I was hanging out on a branch reading. The window to the kitchen was open and I called to my mom to bring me some tortilla chips to eat while I was up there. She brought me a sandwich baggie full of chips, which I hung from a little twig right within perfect reaching distance. And then when I’d finished that bag I called to her and she refilled it again. And again. And again. I don’t know how many times she ended up refilling that thing, just that it was quite a few times, yet my mom never seemed annoyed by it. Although I was young then (probably around 9) I knew my mom was willing to do that for me because she loved me.

2.  I’ve had a lot of weird health problems for as long as I can remember. My mom took me to doctor after doctor trying to figure it out. Each one would send me to a different specialist, but they could never fully figure it out. In fact, one doctor was convinced it must have been in my head, yet my mom always believed me. She has always been my biggest advocate.

At the time I didn’t realize what an emotional and physical drain that must have been on her. Taking me to appointment after appointment, trying to convince doctors that although all my tests showed that I should be feeling great, I wasn’t, and comforting me when I wasn’t feeling well. It had to be exhausting, but she kept at it.

3. When I was a teenager I had a midnight curfew on the weekends. I was quite social and was out with friends almost every Friday and Saturday and I’d stay out with them all the way up till 12:00 even if we really weren’t doing anything. I knew that every night when I got home at least one of my parents would be up waiting for me. Usually my mom.

I didn’t understand why she was always so tired and upset if I was late. It was only 12. I could have kept going till at least 1:00!

Now that I’m a mom myself, I get it. It’s not easy to stay awake till midnight anymore. And by the time my kids are teenagers I’m sure it’ll be even harder. Yet my mom did it every night. She never went to bed before all her children were safely home (unless my dad was able to stay awake that night). Plus, once we got home she’d stay up and talk with us as we told her all about our night. So even though we’d get home at midnight, we usually didn’t head to bed till after 12:30.

And my mom definitely woke up earlier than I did the next day. And she didn’t get the afternoon naps I often took after school. How she did it, I still don’t know. I guess I better figure it out because I’m going to do that with my kids. It will show them how much I care, just as I knew my mom did.

I’m so grateful for my mom. She’s taught me many things, but these three examples are standing out most to me right now. I think mostly, they show that she gave of herself.

I’m sure it wasn’t easy for her. I only have 2 kids, yet I’m not as good at giving them myself as she was with her 7. I’m hoping that writing this down will help me remember how important it is. I always knew how much she loved me because she showed me.

Photo from here