Happy Mother's Day!

Yesterday was Mother’s Day. I won’t say I’ve always appreciated my mom the way I should…there were the typical dark days of teenage-dom when I believed she knew absolutely nothing…but in the past few years, I have come to respect and admire her.

But it wasn’t until I became a mom that I could truly say I appreciated her. I can honestly say that she was the finest example of motherhood and that she is who I model myself after. Here is why:

She was never too busy for us. She could always make time to read or play. I never remember her ever saying that she had something more important to do.

She played with us. She, my brother, and I would play for hours doing things like playing kickball in the yard and taking walks.

She encouraged imagination. My mom could give us a comb covered with wax paper and suddenly, we were in a parade. Or she could throw a quilt over some chairs and we had a fort.

She was silly with us. My mom could stand on her head, or make up funny songs, or read a book with lots of different voices.

She was proud of us. Both she and my dad were our biggest fans

She disciplined us. There were times when she wasn’t so proud of us and she encouraged us to do better.

She never degraded our dreams. She never told us that there was something that we couldn’t do.

She loved us to bits and we knew it, but she never let us disrespect her.

She, and my dad, gave us roots and a great family.

But, when the time came, she let us go.

I hope when Alexander is all grown up, he can look back and say the same things about me.