My Mom is the BEST MOM EVER! I know of course we must all think that but I really really really do think that about my Mom. She has devoted her life to making us kids happy and even as adults us kids are still her first concern. I always tell myself I want my son to love me as much as each of us kids love my Mom. I have a million awesome stories about my Mom and how she did this or that and how she has saved the day a million times over! I will definitely share them in the future.
I have been trying to make a short list about things I have learned about being a good Mom by how my Mom raised me. It was very hard to make a short list but I managed to think of 5 top things!
1. "Let your Children be Themselves!"
My Mom has 5 children and we are all so very unique in our personalities. For me my mom never told me I had to be something specific or pressured me to be something she wanted for me. She always taught me anything is possible and I can accomplish anything I put my efforts towards. She always supported my likes or hobbies. My obsession with animals started very young. My Mom did not have the time to deal with all the stray creatures I wanted to have but she always managed to get me a dog or a cat. I also collected rocks, shells, stickers and loved to keep stuff for my scrapbooks. She always supported each of us even if it was something she had little interest in. I want to be sure I do that for my little guy. He adores cat, which I am now oddly allergic too and he LOVES music. I do not have a musical bone in my body. From what I have learned from my Mom I will dance and sing with my little guy even if I stink at it and I will get gloves and take allergy medicine so I can pet cats with him!
2. "Be a Stealth Fighter Jet and NOT a Helicopter Mom!"
My Mom never hovered over us or made us feel like we weren't in control of our own little lives. But she watched us without us aware and always knew what we were up to and would swoop in to help. I have found myself hovering over my son making sure the details of things were going just right but I stop myself to make sure I am allowing him to just be. To let him see and learn for himself how to do this or that. Or to stick up for himself and be his own little person.
3. "Imagination is Priceless"
Not matter if we had a bunch of money or were just average my Mom always made she we did creative play. We would have camp outs in the living room with chairs and sheets, make a "bus" with lined up chairs, "hot lava" with books and pillows through the house and always gave us stuff to play house with. My sister and I would make mud pies, make our own perfume with roses from the yard and play store with empty boxes of food from the kitchen. She always wanted us to be creative thinkers. We often went to the library and a few plays. I thank her for teaching me to use my imagination. As a Mom myself now I always try to find ways to play make believe with my son.
4. "BAKE!"
Oh the goodies my Mom would create! I have a million great stories about the treats my Mom would make for us. Not just for us but even our whole class at school. She would stay up all night to make us treats to take to school on special occasions. We would feel so special to see the work and love she put into everything she made. There would be ribbons and trays ready for us in the morning like a treat fairy had left it.
Fudge is my FAVORITE thing my Mom makes! Its just not the holidays if I dont have any to eat! Once she made cookies that were made of cake batter. They were the coolest thing ever and everyone including the teachers at my school were begging for me to give them more. I felt so cool! One time I tried to be a master baker like my Mom and accidentally made a quadruple recipe amount half way though making it and she just chuckled and helped me make a huge batch of cookies. We ate chocolate chip cookies everyday for about a whole month!
5. "Works as a Family Team"
My Mom has never made me feel anything but special. With five kids I am sure it is hard to make them all feel equally loved but she sure did. We were always taught we are a team. Each of us has an important role in making the team function. We never were competitive against one another. I love that she did that for us! Even on the same softball team as kids my sister and I cheered each other on, never thinking one of us was better than the other. As adults we all get along so great. We unconditionally love each other with all our hearts! I remember a time that makes me laugh anytime I tell the story. We just got a new cat and we had a family meeting to decide what would be the cats name. We took a vote by writing down a name we wanted and put it in a box. We pulled out a name and the first name was going to be the one. Well my older brother wrote down "Porkchop" and after we all laughed the cats official name was Porkchop! And thats how things were if they said it and we voted on it that was it. Even if it was silly!
I thank my Mom a million times over for being who she is. She has never made me feel less than super special, loved and adored! She always stayed positive even when it seemed rough and always allowed us kids to just be kids. I want that for my son. I want him to know I love him with all my heart unconditionally and that he will always be a super star in my eyes! If I can be as sweet, as loving and as supportive as her I know my son will adore me forever!
I LOVE YOU MOM!
Happy Mothers Day
