Just Another Day, Another Mom?

Perhaps it was one of those made up statistics, but I have been told by some wise radio announcer that 154 million Mother's Day cards are sold every year. I would love to tell you that many, many more "Thinking of You, Mom" cards are sold throughout the year, but since I'm such a skeptic I'm thinking that is not the case.

For some reason I have this problem... I can't bear to think of getting a gift at Christmas time- because someone thinks they are required to give it to me, or flowers on Valentine's day- because my man might feel obligated to (not to worry- he doesn't do anything out of obligation :) ), or (if I was a mom) a mother's day card because the whole world is doing it. If you are thinking "She just can't be ok with holidays", well then maybe you're right. I'm a little weird in that way!

Still, knowing that the day was coming up, made me start thinking about moms, my mom, and the world which is full of moms. My thoughts go to a Sunday morning church service on Mother's Day when all the mothers are asked to stand. It is done to show honor, just as it is done to honor veterans on Veteran's Day.

 I find it awkward. Although I have never been a mother, I think mostly about women who can't have a child- and who want to be a mother. Would this not be a sad reminder that you are not able to bear children like the other 95% of other women out there? What about the lady who has had miscarriages and is not able to carry a baby to full term? It would be awkward for her to stand because in the eyes of all the people around her, she is not a mother yet. In God's eyes, she is a mother. She just didn't get to invest as much of her life in them as most other mothers do.


Despite my negative thoughts of choosing a day to love your mom more than other days in the year, yes, I still did call my mom. :)

 My mom and I have a lot in common.

We both are the type to put all our cake ingredients in a slightly too small bowl and turn the mixer on. Before the explosion even happens, we would be telling ourselves that this is a bad idea. Then a split second later, when there are milk splatters and a fine dust of flour and cocoa powder over the whole counter, we will tell ourselves that that was really dumb.

We are both a complete picture of coordination and confidence behind the wheel of any vehicle. Our amazing driving skills have netted us mostly just an excellent reputation- one that is so great that we get to be the reason for a lot of jokes.

Both of us seem to be able to say what we think, and often before we have thought that perhaps we should not say it!

Neither of us are photogenic.

We both seem to have this problem with waiting. We are horribly impatient.

And we both get quite grouchy when we're tired. Not to mention we both get freezing cold when we get tired too, a trait that apparently most other folks do not have?!

The differences between my mom and I include the fact that:

Mom loves borrowing other people's kids. She loves to give other mothers a break and she loves to dote on little kids. She would take on what seemed to be vast numbers of them and I would quickly disappear for the day. When I'd reappear for food, I would find her and my sister busily washing kids up, corralling kids, and playing with kids. See, as most anyone who ever had me babysit could attest to, children are not much my thing. Mostly my method of childcare was "Kids, sit on the floor and put these puzzles together. If you're hungry, there's a bag of apples in the kitchen. I'm going upstairs to clean. Hope you don't kill yourselves down here."

It really was nice of her to like me so well. She got me from that little state of life to who I am now- but it took a lot of listening to me. Listening to me tell her about all my scrapes, scratches and wounds. Listening to me telling her every. single.detail of the books I read. Listening to me tell her all my theories of life. And finally listening to me go on and on about a guy whom I was pretty sure that I loved. And while we've had our moments, she has been a hero and has put up with a lot on my account!

I am privileged to have a mom who truly cared about me and about who I would become as an adult. She always told me that she didn't just want me to do as well as her. She wanted me to do better. She has invested her life in us kids and I'm thankful to call her my mom!

If at first you don't succeed, do it the way your mother told you to.
-- Author Unknown

A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.
-- Tenneva Jordan

Everybody wants to save the earth; nobody wants to help Mom with the dishes.-- P.J. O'Rourke