Mother's Day

In case you haven't read my 2009 Mother's Day Tribute - here it is again.

All That I Am.

While watching television one night, a commercial appeared for a product I don’t even remember.What made the commercial memorable is the comment made by the spokeswoman. She said, "Everyone thinks about their mother." While it may not be a true statement for everyone, it definitely applies to me.

I think about by mom a lot. I love my mom a lot - for reasons that would fill a book. If you ask me to describe my mother I would start with ‘cute’ and probably use some words like sweet and funny. But if you want to get to the nitty-gritty of what makes my mom so special you need to get beyond her physical appearance. She is honest and respectful. She has a wonderful sense of humor. She continues to expand her knowledge of all things - from politics to horticulture, from knitting to American history. She is an interesting person and a great friend. She gives freely of her time to all her children and grandchildren. She never asks for anything in return and we could never re-pay her for all she does. She is very independent, which can be a blessing or not. (Sometimes she wishes for someone in her life that could lift some of the burden of living alone off her shoulders - take out the trash, clean the gutters, cook her a meal – someone to go to dinner with, go to the movies, or take a road trip with. As her children, we can try to help in some of these areas but it’s not the same as a true companion.) Her mother loved her deeply. She loves her children deeply. I love my own children deeply. See the pattern here? But there are mothers who love their children and cannot show it the same way as my own mother has.

What makes any mother the way they are? Their upbringing? Their relationships? Their life experiences ? I’ve met people who describe their mother in ways that are not flattering nor positive. Their mothers have been labeled as cold, distant, and abusive. They have been called crazy, controlling, and accused of favoring one sibling over another. I’ve thought about it and it comes down to what I suspected all along. Abraham Lincoln was right. He said " All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my mother." While I owe my mother a lot, there are some that think differently about their own mother. What makes a person act in a way that makes their children suspect to their love. Maybe your mother was raised in an atmosphere lacking physical contact – she may feel uncomfortable hugging. Maybe your mother was a neglected child left to her own devices and now she may want to be involved in everything her kids life. If your mother was raised in an abusive relationship, the cycle can be hard to break and your generation may need to be the one to break it. Whatever the situation, knowing where your mother has come from in her life will help you to understand where you’re going, either together or by yourself.

So back to my mother – in my eyes, she’s the perfect mother. I can only dream to be like her in many ways. And I’m sorry for repeating myself but Abraham Lincoln was right. "All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my mother."

My mother.....isn't she cute?