The Mama Diaries
There are a handful of vivid memories I have of my mom when I was growing up. One is of the pressure she used to apply while brushing my hair. She only had good intentions, but most days I was afraid my blonde hair would be streaked with blood from my scalp when she was finished. When I couldn’t take her therapeutic hair brushing anymore I finally confessed and her response was “Oh! I thought it would feel good!".
Another, is how every single morning on the drive to school she would, without fail, ask me to dig out her makeup case and hand her a tissue and her Dusty Rose lipstick. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen my mom without a tissue or a handkerchief in tow.
But, by far, my favorite is how we used to sneak to Dairy Queen to get ice cream cones and attempt to hide all the evidence from my dad. Mostly because we didn’t include him but also because we were always complaining about how tight our pants were (we still do that). My mom is not only the worst liar on the planet but she also had a knack for leaving those cone papers in the truck, right where my dad would find them, we would laugh until our stomachs hurt over being caught.
Now that I’m older and I have three girls of my own, my mom has become one of my best friends, we spend days together, we go on walks, we still make secret trips but now its to Starbucks instead of Dairy Queen…although we have done that too. Now that I can look back on my childhood as an adult and a mom, there are a few things I feel confident enough to say…
My mom was RIGHT. She was always right. She was right about the boys, she was right about school, about friends, about food I didn’t want to try, about exercise, the list goes on…
She only had good intentions, although I couldn’t see it at the time. I may have spent hours crying over whatever I wasn’t allowed to do or wear or watch but I realize now it was always for the best. Why is it so hard to listen to the one person (or one of few) that loves us the most?
She was always my mom first. We never had that Lorelai and Rory kind of relationship while I was growing up, and I am so thankful for that. I didn’t need a friend, I had those. I needed a mom. I needed guidance. I needed rules. I didn’t need someone who was too worried about making me mad to discipline me. Because she was my mom first, she has also become the Lorelei to my Rory. I will forever be grateful for that, for her guidance, her wisdom and advice, and for being my mom first.
She taught me about giving. My mom is one of the most giving people I know. I remember her giving her time as a volunteer at the Pregnancy Crisis Center. I remember her going to McDonalds and buying a bag of cheeseburgers and fries for a homeless man, even though she forgot to get him a drink, I'm still counting it. I remember her giving my sisters and I everything we needed (and sometimes just wanted). I remember her helping a handful of women that desperately needed help, and my mom did whatever she could to help, from buying diapers, to moving furniture. She gave.
She loves us unconditionally. So many times I have done things to disappoint my mom. I've made bad decisions, and we wont detail that, but her love never wavered. She’s helped me through hard times. She’s bought me coffee and let me talk until I had nothing left to say. She’s encouraged me in my business, my marriage, and motherhood. She’s the real deal.
Being a mom is the hardest job in the world and somehow mine has navigated it with grace. I always say that if my girls love me even half as much as I love my mom, then I’ll have done my job. We are celebrating you all month Mom and I hope its been the happiest Mothers Day month ever!
Show us how you’ve celebrated your mom this month by sharing all your Mothers Day pictures on Instagram with the hashtag “sweethomemama”!