Happy Mother's Day!! I thank God that he gave me the joy of being a mother. However, this post is not about me. It is about my mother. She has given me the great example of being a mom, and I just want to publicly thank her for that. My brother, Aaron, inspired me with his top ten list in honor of our mother. While there are many things about Aaron that inspire me (and many things that inspire me to NOT be), I just want to give a bit of credit to him as well :) Thanks for the good idea, Aaron!
My top ten list would be the following:
TOP TEN THINGS MY MOTHER DID TO BE MY HERO:
1. She bravely did the duties that must be completed with having a diabetic child: she gave me shots, she monitored my diet, and most bravely, she gave me sugar when I fought hard against it.
2. She humored me. I remember pretending to be different people as a child, and she always carried on different conversations with each of my "roles." (No, I was not schizophrenic, I was dramatic!)
3. While she so hates having her only daughter 2000 miles away, she doesn't nag me about it too much.
4. She gave me a passion for writing. I love her poems, and I know she must have thought my child-hood poems were stupid. However, she read them and actually hung them on the wall. She still has some hanging to this day.
5. She forced us to take family pictures. While this was with so much objection from all of the other four of us, she persisted. We now have some rather fond family portraits.
6. She was so creative. I don't remember all of her creations, but there are many! She was crafty at making gifts, and at making chicken :) I remember being told in one junior high class survey, that my best trait was my creativity. I felt proud to be a bit like my mother.
7. She now wears the role of grandmother like no other! She loved being a mother. Now, she still loves being my mother, but she really enjoys being a grandmother. How many grandmothers do you know who take walks with her kids, fly kites with them, ride bikes with them, read them endless stories, makes cookies with them, shoot them to the moon, sings with them, teaches them Bible truths, and gives them their baths? And, that is just the end of day #1!
8. She is #1 on my speed dial. Whenever I need wisdom. Whenever I want to cry to someone. Whenever I am most afraid. Whenever I need a good idea. She is my #1 person to call. Seriously, she beats out EVERYBODY!!
9. She gives me clothes. I know this seems like a sad reason to make a top ten list, but it really does make mine. I love clothes. I know this is petty, but I have a passion for clothing. Whenever I get extra money (which is rare), I want to buy clothes. People will ask me "what do you want for Christmas or birthday or.....?" and my first thought is, "I want some clothes." My mom always buys clothes for me. When I visit her house, she gives me her hand me downs, and I must rather proudly say, "She has some good hand me downs!" I am thankful that I am her same size. It has worked rather conveniently for me.
10. The last reason that my mother is my hero is that she has taught me some of the most important things about life. She was fervent in her love for God. I never questioned that. She performed some duties as a ritual, and yet she did it because she thought it was the "right" thing to do. I thank God that she can have discussions with her theological son and husband. She always remains steadfast yet she knows that she does not know it all. She is willing to learn, but she will not compromise. That is a great place to be.
So, that is my top ten list. It is not comprehensive. It could not be. I guess it is just a start. I pray that the example that my mother has always been for me is evident in my own life to my children as well. Happy Mother's Day!
I thank God for the many women in my life who are mothers. While I was blessed enough to have such a great one for a mother, there are so many others that I learn from daily. I thank God for moms! All of them!
