Okay, so, I was reading a post on my friend Michelle's (yes, the one the post below is about) blog. It was a letter to her mom. It was incredibly sweet. I loved being able to read it and read what she loves about her mom. I also think it's so honoring. So, since I consider copying to be the highest form of flattery, I'm writing a post about my mom. Sorry, Mom, it's not a letter.
Let me tell you a bit about my mom and where she comes from. My mom grew up on a fruit orchard in Mt. Hood, Oregon. Her family didn't have a lot of money, so they canned and "put away" all sorts of fruits and vegetables. When she was a kid, her dad was diagnosed with cancer. Early in her teenage years (sorry, Mom, can't remember how old you were- like 14?), her dad died. My mom left beautiful Mt. Hood (I've seen it- it's breathtaking) and arrived in flat, dead-looking Oklahoma during the winter.. the WORST time to be introduced to our state. She helped her mom raise her 3 younger brothers. When she was in college (I think), my mom was in a car crash that killed one brother and her grandmother and almost killed her mom. During college, my mom went home on the weekends and helped her mom with all sorts of chores. Why? Because that's what family does. I tell you all of this so you understand that my mom is one of the strongest women that I know. These experiences would have broken many women or made them bitter. Not my mom.
Fast forward to me. The woman endured something like 36 hours of labor (with no epidural) and a C-Section (two weeks after my due date) just to bring me into the world. (For the record, my parents had already decided to only have two children... it wasn't a decision based on how miserable the experience of bringing me into the world was). Some women act or feel as if their children owe them something. My mom NEVER acted as if I owed her anything. When I think about my childhood, it is filled with memories of my mom. I don't think the woman ever missed a school performance, Little League game, or church activity. She carted me all over kingdom come. She also put up with a rather.. curious.. child. My mom taught me to dream. To this day, she will tell you how she didn't give me coloring sheets as a child because she read "they inhibit creativity". She gave me paper and crayons. She read me probably thousands of books. I can't tell you the number of "ideas" I had and told her about. Whenever I told her about them, she listened- she didn't squash my little dreams- even when they entailed having 8 sets of twins as my children.
My mom has inconvenienced herself more times than I care to imagine for me. Really, the woman taught me what sacrifice is. I can't remember the last time she had both my sister and I home for Mother's Day. Normally, she was with us because she was moving me out of college. The ONE time I moved without my mom helping me? She'd had major back surgery 2 weeks before and felt guilty about not being able to help. The woman has spent the majority of her Christmas/birthday money taking my sister and I on trips. She's lived on a much tighter budget so she could help me get my Master's. For a long time, I thought that's what every family did- you sacrifice when someone else needs something.
I'm realizing how incredibly weird my family is. My mom cooked dinner most nights out of the week. Like, legitimately cooked. Even when finances were tight, my sister and I felt UBER celebrated on our birthdays. (Yup friends, she's the one you can thank for teaching me that birthdays are a BIG deal). From the night I graduated high school, I am quoted in the local newspaper as saying I would miss my mom making me toast every morning. Because my mom made me breakfast every.single.morning. Even now, she spends her breaks coming down and helping my sister and I. No matter what, I always know my mom will be there for me when I need her. I know she would drop everything to be with me if I needed her. The woman updated her own passport when I went to Morocco to make sure she could be there if I needed her. Because of her, I also know that I can call my sister in the middle of the night and ask her for Sprite when I'm sick and she'll bring it to me. My parents always said family comes first.
One last thing. I'm so thankful for a mom who believes in me and is always for me. When my dad died, my mom assured my sister and I we would make it. She was always sympathetic and let us cry to our hearts' content, but she made sure we knew we would make it. When I thought there was no way I could make it through school, she assured me I was smart enough to do it. When I was scared, she calmed my fears.
Thanks, Mom, for everything you've done for me. Thanks for every sleepless night, dollar you spent on me instead of yourself, every inconvenience, and for not losing patience with me. Thank you for being the person who will always pick up and who's always glad to hear my voice. Thanks for loving me, even when I'm a flake and forget to call you back the night before Mother's Day. Thanks for being the "weird" mom; thanks for sacrificing and teaching me how to be a better human being. I love you more than words (or a really long blog post) could ever say.
~Leah
P.S. Does this make me your favorite? ;-)
Let me tell you a bit about my mom and where she comes from. My mom grew up on a fruit orchard in Mt. Hood, Oregon. Her family didn't have a lot of money, so they canned and "put away" all sorts of fruits and vegetables. When she was a kid, her dad was diagnosed with cancer. Early in her teenage years (sorry, Mom, can't remember how old you were- like 14?), her dad died. My mom left beautiful Mt. Hood (I've seen it- it's breathtaking) and arrived in flat, dead-looking Oklahoma during the winter.. the WORST time to be introduced to our state. She helped her mom raise her 3 younger brothers. When she was in college (I think), my mom was in a car crash that killed one brother and her grandmother and almost killed her mom. During college, my mom went home on the weekends and helped her mom with all sorts of chores. Why? Because that's what family does. I tell you all of this so you understand that my mom is one of the strongest women that I know. These experiences would have broken many women or made them bitter. Not my mom.
Fast forward to me. The woman endured something like 36 hours of labor (with no epidural) and a C-Section (two weeks after my due date) just to bring me into the world. (For the record, my parents had already decided to only have two children... it wasn't a decision based on how miserable the experience of bringing me into the world was). Some women act or feel as if their children owe them something. My mom NEVER acted as if I owed her anything. When I think about my childhood, it is filled with memories of my mom. I don't think the woman ever missed a school performance, Little League game, or church activity. She carted me all over kingdom come. She also put up with a rather.. curious.. child. My mom taught me to dream. To this day, she will tell you how she didn't give me coloring sheets as a child because she read "they inhibit creativity". She gave me paper and crayons. She read me probably thousands of books. I can't tell you the number of "ideas" I had and told her about. Whenever I told her about them, she listened- she didn't squash my little dreams- even when they entailed having 8 sets of twins as my children.
My mom has inconvenienced herself more times than I care to imagine for me. Really, the woman taught me what sacrifice is. I can't remember the last time she had both my sister and I home for Mother's Day. Normally, she was with us because she was moving me out of college. The ONE time I moved without my mom helping me? She'd had major back surgery 2 weeks before and felt guilty about not being able to help. The woman has spent the majority of her Christmas/birthday money taking my sister and I on trips. She's lived on a much tighter budget so she could help me get my Master's. For a long time, I thought that's what every family did- you sacrifice when someone else needs something.
I'm realizing how incredibly weird my family is. My mom cooked dinner most nights out of the week. Like, legitimately cooked. Even when finances were tight, my sister and I felt UBER celebrated on our birthdays. (Yup friends, she's the one you can thank for teaching me that birthdays are a BIG deal). From the night I graduated high school, I am quoted in the local newspaper as saying I would miss my mom making me toast every morning. Because my mom made me breakfast every.single.morning. Even now, she spends her breaks coming down and helping my sister and I. No matter what, I always know my mom will be there for me when I need her. I know she would drop everything to be with me if I needed her. The woman updated her own passport when I went to Morocco to make sure she could be there if I needed her. Because of her, I also know that I can call my sister in the middle of the night and ask her for Sprite when I'm sick and she'll bring it to me. My parents always said family comes first.
One last thing. I'm so thankful for a mom who believes in me and is always for me. When my dad died, my mom assured my sister and I we would make it. She was always sympathetic and let us cry to our hearts' content, but she made sure we knew we would make it. When I thought there was no way I could make it through school, she assured me I was smart enough to do it. When I was scared, she calmed my fears.
Thanks, Mom, for everything you've done for me. Thanks for every sleepless night, dollar you spent on me instead of yourself, every inconvenience, and for not losing patience with me. Thank you for being the person who will always pick up and who's always glad to hear my voice. Thanks for loving me, even when I'm a flake and forget to call you back the night before Mother's Day. Thanks for being the "weird" mom; thanks for sacrificing and teaching me how to be a better human being. I love you more than words (or a really long blog post) could ever say.
~Leah
P.S. Does this make me your favorite? ;-)
