Today is my mom's birthday. Words can't express how much I wish that I lived close enough to celebrate with her, but the reality of our lives right now is that we are more than a few time zones apart. Therefore, I will do the best that I can to celebrate her life and all that she means to me in this entry--though words really can't express that either.
When I was growing up, my mom had a mug with a picture of a woman with curlers in her hair, laying prostrate on a couch. Beside the woman was a vacuum and a cluttered floor. The caption on the mug read "Sometimes the handles of reality seem a little slippery to Helen." As a kid, I failed to understand why mom loved--and even seemed to identify--with that mug. Now that I'm married, I'm beginning to comprehend half of the mug's meaning to my mother. (The other half will come when I have children, I think.)
As women, we often (willingly or unwillingly) sacrifice ourselves at the altar of our families. My was (and still is) the perfect example of someone who freely gave of herself, her time, her money and even the shirt off her back (which I often stole from her closet when she wasn't looking) so that my dad, brother and I could live a comfortable existance.
Growing up, there weren't too many nights when a made-from-scratch dinner wasn't on the table between 5-6 p.m. (Sometimes I'm lucky if take-out from the local Chinese food joint makes it onto a TV tray by 8 p.m.) I can't recall the laundry ever piling up in our house. (As I type, I'm staring at an overflowing hamper.) And I don't remember hearing her complain even once when purchasing new "back-to-school" outfits for me meant that she would be wearing the same wardrobe for the third year in a row. (To this day, mom marvels at what a shop-a-holic I am.)
If you asked her, she'd deny all of this and say that she's "far from perfect." (I can literally hear those words coming out of her mouth right now.) Interestingly enough, she'd also tell you that one of her biggest regrets is not having any direction (a.k.a.- a "thing") in life. (Sound familiar?) But that's not how I see it. Her "thing" is our family and she excels at putting us first.
So, today on her XX birthday (number erased to protect the innocent), I celebrate her and her selflessness.
Mom, I love you. I couldn't have asked for a better example of what it means to be a Godly wife and mother. If I turn out to be half the woman you are, then I'll count my life as a true success. Consider this post a virtual hug from me (and The Far Side) to you.
Love,
Your Jennysue
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment