Happy Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day Mom!

My Mom is Sharon. She will probably be mortified that I put this picture of us up. She hates any picture of herself and isn't in many pictures. I am totally following her lead. In fact, I'm kind of mortified at myself for putting this picture up of me. Oh well. This is us. Mother and daughter. And I love it.

My Mom is one of those Moms that I want to be like. I've been a Mom for seven years and still have not even come close to emulating the qualities I admire in her. She is one of those Moms who sacrifices for her children. She is the one who will take the burnt piece of food for dinner or sit in the uncomfortable chair. She puts others first to the extreme. She comes to visit and she doesn't ever sit down. Not because she is standing around but because she is working....laundry, laundry, reorganizing my pantry, making beds, doing dishes, making delicious meals! She has always been like this. I don't ever remember our home being messy growing up! And it wasn't because she was making us work our tails off. She had keeping a home down to a science. 

And she isn't just a worker. I was sick a lot growing up. Of course, I always wanted my Mom. She was my comforter. Just having her near made everything better. I still remember the comfort she gave me just by rubbing my back or caressing my arm. Mom comfort. 

We had our moments (as I remember my Senior year in High School) and we still sometimes have our moments. Like when I just want her to sit down and relax at my house instead of doing the 100th load of laundry! But my memories of my Mom are good, all good. 

And one thing about my Mom. She has had to endure the thing that all of us as Mom's fear: the loss of a child. My oldest sister Chelle, died when she was 28. I usually think of her loss as how I relate to it, what I lost. Only sometimes do I take time to reflect on what my Mom (and my Dad) really lost, really went through. And only now that I am a Mom can I understand a bit more how hard that must have been and still is at times. My Mom didn't let that loss tear her apart, crush her marriage, make her bitter. My family is stronger now, in the Lord, in our relationships with each other - than we were before my sister's death.

My Mom is resilient, self-sacrificing, loving, a servant, committed, strong - so many good things. I'm so very thankful for her in my life. That my kids get to know her. That she makes such an effort to know and love them. 

Thank you Mom for giving me a great childhood, for being here for me all the time as a Mom myself and for loving your grand kids so darn much!

And to my little munchkins - thanks for making me a Mommy!

I love you all so much!