[a moment] to celebrate

[moment 17]

Today is my Mom's birthday, so today, I'd like to celebrate her and the wonderful person she is. Now, she wasn't always so wonderful. When I was a child she had such faults as doing things without me while I was at Nursery School and not always believing me when I said I was too ill to go to school (which, admittedly was good parenting on her part ... except for the time I threw up in my cubby because I actually was sick...or the time she took me to the doctor because I must have been faking, but actually had pneumonia). But I digress ... My mom taught me many valuable things, most of them just by being herself: 

Be involved, interested, and invested. From elementary school library mom to youth symphony board member to high school band parent, she was always involved in my activities and my education. But not only was she involved, but she was also interested  in all the activities. I witnessed a huge difference between my friends' parents who were doing things because they felt obligated to, and my parents, who were involved because they were truly invested in what they were doing.

Take alone time, even if your children find it excruciating. As a child, I was not good at giving my mom alone time. That she would be doing something without me - doing I-didn't-even-know-what - was torturous to my young mind. This is probably why my first couple days of nursery school were a breeze, and the following few weeks were not - I had discovered that my Mom did stuff while I was gone. Without me. Later in my childhood she'd "locked" the door to the third floor of our house to get some quiet time. I couldn't fathom why she'd need time away from us lovely children, but now, as mama to five, I completely understand, and fully appreciate the wisdom of my Mom's example. 

Trust your children. This is the thing I value most about my mom - she trusted me. She not only trusted me to do the right thing, but she trusted me to make mistakes and learn from them. And I made some doozies (sorry, Mom!). She offered great amounts of help when I really needed it (and still does!), and very little criticism, even during my very rough late-teens and early twenties...and mid-forties.

My mom taught me love. Not just a mother's love for her children or a wife's love for her husband, but a love of others - of everyone. She truly loves her friends, and it shows in her interactions with them. It shows in the way her face lights up when she speaks of them and in the things she has to say about them when they're not in her presence. She has "adopted" several children - from foreign exchange students who lived with us for a couple high school semesters and with whom she continues to keep in contact, to my best friend, who is an expected part of all family festivities. And she taught me God's love - not through forcing me to go to CCD classes in my youth, but through the way she treats others, the way she followed her heart to a new church and new growth in faith, and through her encouragement of me to "come and see." 

She still trusts me, and helps me, and cheers me on, is involved without overstepping her bounds. And she loves and supports her rainbow of grandchildren ... even if she can't keep their names straight!  I love you, Mom! Happy Birthday!