Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's out there and especially to the woman that was instrumental to making me the mother and person I am today, my mom.

My mom was a wild child to put it lightly.  She got married young and had me just a few years later.  In a lot of ways, I think we grew up together.  I know a lot of people think that is a bad thing, but for me, it wasn't. My mom never had that problem that so many young moms experience.  You know that problem where you want to be your children's friend rather than their Mom.  Nope, not my mom.  She was 100% a mom.  You would think having such a young Mom that I would have had it easy and that she would have been a little more lax than older Moms.  Nope, didn't happen.  She was a lot stricter than my friends moms. Maybe strict isn't even the word for it.  She was on top of things.  She always knew where I was, who I was with and what I was doing.  She would call parents when I stayed the night off to find out if I was really staying there and she ALWAYS knew when I was lying.  I guess that is the result of her being such a wild child herself.  She knew all the tricks. I HATED it growing up.  It's only as an adult that I am thankful that she was the type of Mom that she was and only after having my own children do I realize how much easier it would have been for her to be the easy going Mom that didn't stay on top of things.  Being the strict Mom that demands a certain level of behavior is HARD work. 

I can remember growing up thinking of all the things I would NEVER do when I had children, only to grow up and realize I become more and more like my mother EVERY SINGLE DAY! Even more surprisingly is that I am okay with becoming more like her, as a matter of fact I feel a little pride a lot of times when I realize I handled something the same way my Mom would have handled it. 

My Granny Grace, or Granny Sweetie Duck as I always called her, (Mom's mom) is getting older and her health is in the decline.  We are all so sad as we love our Granny Grace something fierce. I see my mom (and others)  working so hard to take care of her and it makes me proud and sad as well.   I love that even when it is hard, my Mom is still doing the right thing.  It also makes me think about the fact that one day, I will probably lose my own mother.  I can't imagine that day every coming, as my Mother has always been a constant in my life.  With Granny Grace getting sicker, I reflect more on the things we leave our children with, our legacy some might say.  I'm not talking about the physical things, but those things that become a part of us, that we hopefully pass onto our own children. 

Some of the things my Mom has taught me that I hope I do a good job at teaching my own children:

Be compassionate.  Be tolerant.    Say "I Love You." A lot. Have fun.  Be silly.  Laugh loudly.  Take time to enjoy the little things.  Play in the dirt.  Take time to drink your coffee on the porch.  Get outside.    Be proud.  Even when you don't have a dime to your name, you still have each other and that's what matters.  Love each other.  Respect your elders.  Respect yourself.  Be open-minded. Try new things.  Don't be afraid to take a vacation by yourself.  Take care of each other. Saying "No" to your children sometimes is love.  Give your children chores. Under your roof, your rules. Work hard. Play hard. Tell them the things you love about them.  Pick your battles.  Make sure you children know they can talk to you about anything.  It's never too late to improve your life.  Try your best in school.  Don't make excuses, make changes.  Don't hit your sister/brother (even when I'm not around). Don't lie, the punishment will be worse. Work hard to earn and more importantly, deserve, people's trust.  Do the right thing, even when it isn't the easy thing. Love each other. Sing songs with your kids when you are driving down the road, even if they aren't kiddie songs.  They will remember those lyrics and memories forever and sing the same songs with their kids.  "Last kiss" and "Joy to the World"  are a few I still know all the words to. Teach them to fish.  Have an adventurous heart.  Learn to enjoy reading.  Don’t' sweat the small stuff. Most of all, work hard to be the kind of person that makes your Mom, and even more importantly yourself, proud. 

Mom,  even though I am far away, I hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day.   Thank you for helping me become the mother and person I am today.  I love you so very much.