Ode to my Mom!

Today is my mom's birthday!!! For those of you that know her, already know what a beautiful person she is inside and out. For those of you that have never had the opportunity to meet my mom....let me paint you a picture.

My mom and I had a great relationship growing up. Sure, we hit a few bumps in the road as all mother/daughter relationships do, but overall she was the type of mom you just loved to stay up late with and have "pillow talk". My mom has a lot of fabulous gifts. She is talented, artistic, smart, funny, the life of the party, an ABC woman, a very hard worker, organized, trendy, fun, compassionate, service-oriented, honest, a person of high integrity and she is an amazing people person.

A few years ago, Jason and I decided to be adventurous and move to Washington. Well, it has been these last 3 years of living almost 1000 miles away from my home town that I feel like I have gotten to know my mom so much more. How is that possible you ask? You know that old saying "You don't really know a person until you have walked a mile in their shoes"? Well, I suppose my appreciation of my mom increased 10 fold when I started down my own path of motherhood and took a walk wearing a pair of my mom's very fabulous and very trendy shoes.....(my mom has great shoes).

I remember when Dallin was only a few months old and I was still adjusting somewhat to the new demands of being a mother. I had just finished changing his diaper when I started thinking...."I bet I have changed at least 10,000 diapers in the last 3 months".....as my thoughts lingered on how much my own life had changed, I suddenly had a change of heart when I was reminded....that someone else had done that same thing for ME! I had to call my mom right away and say, "Mom, thank you for changing my diaper like a million times! I really appreciate it!" Better late than never.

Well, mentally this little thought got the ball rolling and I started comparing my mother to the type of mother I was shaping up to be. And boy, did I have a rude awakening. I don't remember EVER hearing my mom complain about how hard her life was. No siree, my mom was the kind of mom that did everything and anything for anybody and never complained about it. I sometimes wish that I could go back. ...okay let me rephrase that because I would never want to go back to being a child again, but I just wish that I had been a little more helpful, a little more grateful, and a little more accustomed to making her life easier.

I had an amazing childhood. There was always a sense of safety and protection in our home. Sure, us kids, had some hair-raising battles, but I guess my sanctuary came in the relationship my parents had with each other. My parents were truly each others best friends and after being married over 40 yrs they're still going strong. In fact, they just played in a couples bowling league this summer and won the championship!!! How cool is that?!?!

My mom had this extraordinary talent for creating fabulous traditions for us, especially around the holidays. We always had something to look forward to and with a new holiday in almost every month we had a lot of fun. No holiday was considered too small to celebrate. The decorations and traditions were just as important on Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day as was Christmas and Easter. For each holiday our home was transformed into a magical kingdom where porcelain bunnies and elves came to life each night and danced around, spreading their pixie dust on the sleeping children there. Our house, inside and out was completely gutted and made-over to depict the perfect Haunted House or 4th of July Celebration. Only later, did I realize that this enchantment didn't just happen magically, but it was painstakingly created for us down to the minutest detail by someone who loved us very much. And what beautiful memories she created...

My mom was the type of mom that all my high school friends adored. I would constantly get comments like "your mom is so cool" and "I just love your parents." They don't know this but when I was dating I would invariably use them as a secret weapon. Whenever I was trying to get a guy to really like me, I would bring him home to meet my parents. Most people now days dread this meeting with foreboding, but my experience was just the opposite. If I wanted a guy to really like me, one evening at home with mom and pops and I would have him....hook, line and sinker!
Probably one of my mom's greatest qualities is that she is genuinely a people person. She befriends people wherever she goes and she relates well with people of diverse backgrounds. I have greatly admired this quality in my mom because it is something that I hope to achieve someday as well. My mom is always the first one to offer a shoulder to cry on and a sympathetic ear to the those that just need to talk. She empathizes so well with people and she always knows the right things to say at the right time. Building relationships is also one of her strong qualities. I love how she takes time to build a strong relationship with each of her grand kids. She absolutely keeps things in perspective. She is so genuine.

On the day that I was married, my mom and I shared a special moment in the bride's waiting room. Meaningful words were expressed back and forth and I echo some of those same thoughts again today as "I hope to be just like her." I love you mom, with all my heart and I hope you know how much of a powerful influence you have been in the lives of many but more especially that you have consistently been a woman of strength and compassion and I will forever look to you and be grateful for what you have meant in my own life.

Happy Birthday!