My Mom

Tomorrow is Mother's Day. It is my very first mother's day ever and I am very excited to spend the day with my family!

But who I am writing about today is my mom. My mother is an amazing person. She does so much for us kids. Growing up she was the firm hand that kept us disciplined enough to do our homework without being told to do so, she encouraged us to do activities that we were good at and enjoyed. For me, I was an athlete and aeronautical junkie. My mom made time to come to my track meets (my most important sport), helped me ensure that the winter track team would exist one year, brought me to the doctor when I pushed myself too hard and needed long term pain control so I could still run and not let down my relay team, the list goes on. She stayed by my side when I broke my arm playing soccer and needed surgery, then proceeded to be my physical therapist at home - pushing me to work on my arm so that it worked properly later in life no matter how much it hurt to walk my hand up the piece of tape on the porch door.

My mom stayed by my side, lent a shoulder, took time off of work and literally came to my work place to force feed me when I had a major break up in my early 20's. She supported me when I decided to move to VA to start a new life and to get away from the life I had in NH - so I could learn who I really was and what kind of person I wanted to be. I had not been on my own ever until the day I left for VA - I cried like a baby until I got out of New England, and I am sure my mom did too.

My mom treats my dog Dutch like her grandchild. She takes him to the lake for the weekend, buys him toys, lets him sleep over, comes to let him out on a daily basis, bakes him his own cookies and buys him his own tub of vanilla ice cream. She even makes him a new winter coat every year.

My mom is now the primary care taker for her in-laws. She tirelessly answers phone calls, coordinates medications, doctor appointments, interviews caretakers, and rushes over to their house when there is any type of a potential medical emergency. She spends her days off basically babysitting my grandparents because it is what needs to be done... and these aren't even her own parents.

My mom virtually single-handedly planned my wedding in a matter of a week. Who can do that?? I know - MY MOM!

Now that I am a mom, I find myself thinking about all the dumb things that I did as a kid and young adult and how my mom reacted to my behaviors. I also find myself planning my "mom style" based off my mom and my Memere - something we all swear not to do BEFORE we have kids. Well, if I am half the mom that my mom is I think that my children will be very lucky.

Happy Mother's Day to my mom! I love you and can never thank you enough for all that you do for me and the family.