Tuesday, February 20, 2007
To My Mother, Just 'Cause
Lately I've been thinking about the women in my life who've made the greatest impact on me. Lots of people come and go and leave impressions of varying depth, some more noticeable than others. In this spirit I have decided to do a series of posts as tributes to these women. The first person who immediately comes to mind is my mother. While most people's mothers are good (there are of course some crazy women out there who do very bad things to their children, but I think that they are by far the exception, rather than the rule) there are so many people who do not get along with their mothers. I have been blessed in that my mother has not only been a wonderful parent, but also one of my best friends for many years. One of the hardest things about having been so far away for the last several years was not being able to see my mom. Sure, we talked on the phone for long periods of time, sometimes nearly every day. But it's not the same as being in the same place. You can't do things together. And there are things that you just don't want to talk about over the phone. She has guided me through so many struggles, and continues to dispense her wisdom. She has supported me through everything and let me choose my own way, while still making sure things were right. When Michael and I would come back to visit we would always split the time between his parents' house and my parents' house. At first he didn't understand why I insisted on staying with my parents, after all his parents have a queen size bed, while here we have to sleep on a double (we're used to sleeping on a king size bed). But I have to stay with my parents after being away for long periods of time in order to reconnect. If we were staying in separate houses my mom and I can't stay up talking until after midnight, when we should both probably be in bed, laughing and just enjoying each other's company. I love spending time with my mother. It is from her that I have learned what it means to be a wife, and what it will mean to be a mother (though, that prospect is still far away). If I am able to raise my children half as well as she raised hers, I will consider myself fortunate. I love you, Mom.
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What a wonderful idea for a series, Jessica, and I love your tribute to your mom. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's awesome that you guys have shared such a close relationship over the years. It's been my experience that many moms and daughters go through seasons of rain and drought. To see the closeness of my mom and I today, you would never imagine the horrible shouting matches we used to have when I was a teenager (well, I shouted, at least--she mostly shook her head and prayed...lol!)
On a superfluous note: Paul and I are an anomaly among the people we know in that we've eschewed the king-sized bed in favor of first a full and now a queen, which we love. We've slept in king-sized mattresses before on vacations and while visiting people, and to two cuddlers like us, it feels like a vast and empty land--too hard to find each other!
Michael and I also like to cuddle, but he rolls around a lot in his sleep and I usually end up with him half on top of me or an elbow in the face in the middle of the night on smaller beds. I occupy the same amount of space regardless of the bed size, it's Michael that requires the room to roll. :-)
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