Why is it that sometimes we girls have a love/hate relationship with our mothers. I KNOW I am not the only one. And if you add in our mother-in-laws. . . . well, that goes far beyond what this post can get into! 😏
But I want to tell you about my Mom.
My Mom is not my best friend. She is not my closest confident. She is not someone who I run to any time I am struggling. Some of you might have that kind of a mom.
HOWEVER! My mom IS someone who I admire. My mom is someone who I respect. My mom is someone who has endured the test of time. My mom is someone who has given up everything for others. My mom loves fiercely. My mom is a protector. And my mom is someone who I am so thankful to say has always supported me in everything I do.
She is also someone who I have run to when I am in a pickle. She is THE ONE PERSON I called when my husband had an accident and I didn’t know who to turn to. She is also the same person that when I went home to the camp on my very first night alone after Keith had said accident, and I found every single door locked to every building on the camp site (including my own home!) that I called and talked to on the pay phone for over an hour as she prayed and comforted me. . . . assuring me that things would be okay. She is also the one person that I was eventually able to share my broken heart with when I found that pornography had entered into the life of my marriage.
I can’t say my mom and I see eye to eye on all things. But the older I get, and the older my kids get, the more I seem to understand my mom. As a teen I DIDN’T GET HER!!!! As a young married girl, I thought she just wasn’t patient enough (lol). As a mom, I thought she figured she had it all figured out b/c she had all the answers on how to raise my own kids.
And now as a daughter whose mom is turning 80, I realize I am the luckiest girl alive. It has been difficult knowing I couldn’t be there to celebrate my mom’s 80th birthday. Many times, I have had to let others share the joy that is my mom. I have had to trust that all the work and good she has done in the last 80 years will be celebrated because MY MOM IS AN AMAZING WOMAN!!!
Here are some things that you might not know about my mom:
- My mom came to Canada to care for 4 children whose mother died, and came only to care for them – not knowing what the future would hold.
- My mom came from a life of luxury (single working girl, in an office that made her lots of money) to a farm girl’s life where there was a highly mortgaged farm, four children without a mother, a man who had recently lost his wife – trying to care for said 4 children, run a farm AND provide a home for this city girl, not to mention the lack of luxuries that she was used to in Rotterdam!- My mom decided I was good enough to birth me breech – without medication!!! and still laugh about it to this day.
- My mom left her home again for me and spent several days with me when I found out my husband would no longer walk. She rubbed my back, held my hand, and took a lot of anger, insults and frustration that was not directed at her, however, at that time – landed on her.
- My mom is a breast cancer survivor!!!
- My mom has done more in her life than I can ever imagine doing in mine.
- My mom is the youngest looking 80 year old I know – or at least who hasn’t had surgery to alter anything!
- My mom knows how I struggle with the distance between us, because she too had to live many, many miles apart from her mom. History has repeated itself.
I love my mom and am so proud and thankful that God gave her to me to be my Mom. God has given my mom 80 years! She is an amazing woman and I love her so much! Life has dictated that we live far apart. But life has also allowed for letters, occasional visits, and many phone calls to breach that distance.
Thank you, Mom for all that you do for me and my family. We love you very much and hope you have an amazing birthday on January 1.
XOXOXO Mom
