A TRIBUTE TO MY MOTHER

"My mother...she is beautiful, softened at the edges and tempered 

with a spine of steel. I want to grow old and be like her." 

                                                 -- Jodi Picoult

I love my mother. As I have grown older, I have become more aware of my mother and the decisions she's made, the hardships she's dealt with, and the life she's led...and I must say, she has never been more beautiful to me than she is today.

So to pay tribute, I wanted to do something a little different. I stumbled upon this Mother's Day article, where people were told to express their love and gratitude for their mothers in five words or less. FIVE!?! I know, right? How can five words be sufficient enough to adequately express the love I have for my mother. 

However, as I read some of the responses, I started to see how sweet and sincere they were. I mean you have to be eloquent and selective when there are only five words to play with. 

So I decided to try it.

But knowing me...I wanted to elaborate on these five words with a story or some preface as to why these five words are so special to me.


(1) SHE TAUGHT ME TO LOVE.
I absolutely LOVED the news article that went viral of the nurturing mother who brought her baby back to life simply by cuddling and caressing the child. (If you haven't seen this, pause the read, and check it out. It's remarkable in every way.) Like this mother to her newborn babe, my mother has also given me the gift of life. Because of her, I grew up knowing what it feels like to be loved unconditionally. And it is THIS love that has enabled me to love others, serve the community, and strive to be a mother of my own one day. Mother's have a powerful and irreplaceable role in society, one in which I desperately hope will never be replaced. 

(2) SHE IS BRAVE.
Is every mother bestowed with a large dose of courage before she leaves the hospital with a new baby in arm? I sure hope so...because I cannot imagine being my mother 23 years ago. She left the hospital as a new resident of California, with no family or friends nearby, holding two tiny babies, one in each arm.  My father worked obscure hours to support this growing family of his, often leaving my mother alone with these two newborns...and no idea how to raise them. Although it was a hard time (full of lots of tears), she did it!

And similar to the way she raised us, my mother confronts every problem the same way: head on! Never have I seen my mother falter or waver when something hard needs to be done. She just gets up early and does it! Though Rach and I were the first, we were certainly not the last of times that called for bravery.

(3) SHE DOES KICKLINES WHILE COOKING 

One of my fondest memories as a child was watching my mother cook and dance simultaneously. Because she was a Mandonelles (drill team) in high school, she is notorious for her high kicks. I specifically recall as a little girl watching my mother sing along to Amy Grant's "Baby Baby" at the top of her lungs, making homemade pasta and jumping around the kitchen with her old school drill moves. For some reason, this will always be a fond memory I have when I think of my mother. 

(4) THE WIND BENEATH MY WINGS.
The first and only time I have watched a Bette Midler movie was with my mother. We watched Beaches. I remember sitting and crying during this terribly sad and inspiring movie. (It really is just heart wrenching.) And to this day, whenever I hear the song, "Wind Beneath My Wings," I think of my loving mother.

(5) SHE IS A DOER.
Whether it's a flat tire to be fixed, a company to help manage, or a family relationship to mend, my mother is the woman of many hats. She is a fighter. Her proactive approach to life is something I and many of her friends cherish about her. 

(6) SHE IS ADVENTUROUS AND UNINHIBITED 
My mother never ceases to amaze me with her eagerness for adventure. I'm talking about the time when Farmington Station hosted a weekend concert one summer night last year. My family and I got out of a movie to be welcomed by a large crowd of people enjoying a live band. Carson jokingly dared my mother to go join the mosh pit forming near the front of the stage. Without even blinking, she smiled and ran to the edge of the stage and began jumping, screaming, and dancing better than any teenager nearby. We stood there shocked, mouths gaped open (seriously!). None of us expected her to really do it, yet she was all over the place, bumping into strangers, singing to the crowd, and playing the "air guitar." 

Needless to say, we all had a good laugh and learned a little more about our mother that night. 

(7) SHE LOVES HER BODY.

My mother might quickly protest this idea; however, I need to make a point. My mother showed my sisters and I how to love our bodies. She never complained about the baby weight she put on over the years. She never uttered ill words of her appearance or the appearance of others. A scale was never included in our bathroom decor (not to say scales are bad, but numbers were never something of interest in our family). Food was always approached as fuel, never a threat. And those stretch marks on her tummy were never shameful, but rather reminders of her pride and joy -- her children. I owe much of my positive body image to my mother. In a world of confused body images, I'm deeply grateful to have been raised in a safe place, where the feminine body is appreciated and valued. I cannot thank you enough for this one, mother! 

Mother trying on her wedding dress. Hello 80's!!

(8) SHE LOVES GOD

Most importantly, she taught me how to pray and turn to Heavenly Father, often. Growing up in a home where I could feel the Spirit and learn more about Jesus Christ has shaped my entire existence. I owe much of my testimony and the lense in which I see the world to my spiritual mother. 



No Mother's Day post is sufficient without this quote:

"ALL THAT I AM, OR HOPE TO BE, I OWE TO MY ANGEL MOTHER."

No quote seems to sum it up like Abraham Lincoln's tribute to his mother. As I am preparing to become a wife in a few short months and mother in a few short years, I must say, I am grateful my biggest role model is always right beside me, cheering me on with every stage of life.

Thank you, mother, and all other mothers, for your irreplaceable presence and gift in lives of those you touch.

Happy Mother's Day!