More than a Mom

It’s Mother’s Day today, so I thought I would write about my mother. I could go on and on about what a good mom I have, and all of the things she did for me growing up. Yet, this Mother’s Day, I have been thinking about all the things my mother is besides a mother. In addition to being a loving mother, my mom is:

A patient wife… You couldn’t be married to my dad without patience. Combine his perfectionism and procrastination and you’ll need a lot of patience. My mom has always patiently been beside him. She offers him constant support, love, and friendship. As I am planning my wedding and thinking about my future, I hope I can be a wife like her.

A creative teacher… My mom teaches speech and language in the school district I grew up in. Her favorite students always seem to be the ones that need the most help. She is constantly coming up with new ways to keep them engaged as they learn, offering them games, art, and most recently a really cute rabbit. She loves her work. She and my dad have taught me that the most valuable job is not the one that pays the best, but the one you love the most.

An assertive woman… My mom has worked with many superintendents and principals during her career. I always loved the stories she’d tell where she was giving them advice. My mom is never afraid to say what she thinks. She sees the way things could be done better, and tries to make it happen. I have found myself doing the same things. When I see a better way, I push to make it happen, even if it means I have to take on more responsibility.

A nurturing gardener… My parents yard is more garden than lawn. When I was growing up, the garden had no appeal to me, it was just something to weed. My mom spends most of her summers off tending to her garden. Now that I am too far away to enjoy the vegetables and flowers she cultivates, I am starting to appreciate her garden more and more. This year, I am growing my own garden, and am frequently calling home for advice.

A lifelong learner… My mom is always trying something new, whether it’s a recipe, craft, teaching method, or technology. My mom used email before me, and almost joined Facebook before I did! She’s always pushed for greater and better use of technology in education. She has a Master’s Degree and has taken many summer classes. She’s a National Board Certified Teacher. I looked this up to be sure and she’s one of three in her school district, and is listed as a “Exceptional Needs Specialist/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood.” I think that’s pretty cool.

A cooking connoisseur… Other than the one time she made orange juice chicken, my mom is an amazing cook. I bring up this failed dish every time, because it’s the only thing I distinctly remember being bad. Almost everything my mom makes is good. When I visit home, she asks if I have any requests. I usually leave it up to her, because I know I won’t get a bad meal. Almost all my favorite recipes come out of a handwritten notebook she made for me when I got my first kitchen in college. Like with gardening, as I cook, I frequently call home for advice because she is an expert. I am thankful for her dedication to providing a hot meal for our family every night. Although I typically ate as fast as I could so I could be excused from the table, I now realize I should have savored both the food and the relationships these meals fostered.

A craftswoman… My dad is a craftsman for a living, but my mom is queen of crafts. You name it, she’s tried it. She just got Martha Stewart’s Encyclopedia of Crafts, and I am she’s already done half the things in there. When we were little, she sewed our clothes. She even made my first prom dress. Now she’s taken to rubber stamping. Every holiday I get a card in the mail that she has made herself. She even helped me make about 150 wedding invitations! She is full of creativity. Like gardening and cooking, now that I’m out of the house all of the sudden these things interest me, so I’m on the phone once again asking what basting is or how to cast on.

A steadfast Christian… My mom shared her faith with me through her actions, not simply words. All of the time she serves at church is an indication that this is something that she values deeply. My mom has taught Sunday school and sang in the choir my whole life. She also always helped my dad with the high school youth group. She serves on boards and committees. Now she helps the pastor find images to go with his sermon, which helps all those visual learners like myself. She taught me to pray before dinner, and I still say the same one before I take my first bite. Her leadership and faith have prepared me as I have become a leader at my own church.

I used to kind of worry that I would “turn into my mother,” the woman who constantly uses the air brake when she rides shotgun. Unfortunately, without noticing, I did turn into my mother. Adrian noticed it the other day in the car when I made a particularly loud gasp as a result of his driving. He turned to me and said “Okay, Kathie.” Now that I’ve realized it’s too late, I guess I’ll embrace becoming my mother. After all, she is so many amazing things. Somehow, despite my disinterest for gardening, cooking, and crafts growing up, she managed to instill in me a love for all of them. Gradually, I am realizing that I am incredibly proud to be like her, because not only is she a wonderful mother, but she is an amazing woman.

Mom, I love you, and all that you are inspires me. I am blessed to be your daughter. Happy Mother’s Day.