Signed, MOM

My mom was a stay at home... but don't say that she didn't work, don't say that she didn't have a job. Don't say that she just stayed at home...

My mom worked 24 hours a day, my mom had multiple jobs: chef, housekeeper, nurse, counselor, referee, chauffeur, interior decorator, repairman, you get the point. My mom drove all over town carpooling my sisters and I and our friends to every event and activity that we signed up for. And between softball, basketball,dance, gymnastics, , volleyball games, track meets,pagents, school plays, etc. ,there was ALOT of driving around.

In a past post I talked about my moms creativity in the kitchen.. Well it didn't stop there. One way to describe my mom is "creative". She could make just about anything. If we wanted a fort, she would CREATE an elaborate fort. If we needed costumes for the school play she would CREATE pieces worthy of Broadway. If we wanted "Strawberry Shortcake" on our walls, she would CREATE lifelike decorations to depict any character we were into, if we wanted pancakes, she would CREATE Mickey Mouse faces complete with chocolate chip smiles.. And her creativity didn't stop there. Her mark was on every room in the house. Her mark was on the landscaping in our yards, her mark was on paintings that hung in our living room. My mom was crafty.

But another word that comes to mind when thinking about my mom is loving.. She loves being a mom. Growing up I felt LOVED when I would find encouraging notes in my lunch box signed by MOM ( and the O was always a smiley face with curly hair). Growing up I felt LOVED when my mom sat up with me all night, singing me little songs, when I had yet another bad ear infection. Growing up I felt LOVED when my mom cheered me on at gymnastics and volleyball games. Growing up I felt LOVED when my mom would make my favorite dish for dinner when she knew I had a bad day. Growing up I felt LOVED when she welcomed my friends in and treated them like her own. Looking back I know I was LOVED when my mom enforced a curfew earlier than my friends. Looking back I know I was LOVED when I would be grounded for talking back. Looking back I know I was LOVED when I was expected to do my chores. Looking back I know I was LOVED when I was taught "old fashioned values". At the time I thought my parents were being strict, now I see that they were being LOVING parents who cared.

And now that I am a mom myself, I can only pray that when my boys are grown and they look back on their childhood, that even if I am not remembered as the most fair mom, even if I am not remembered as a perfect mom. I want to be remembered as a LOVING mom, just like I remember my mom today.