The Power of Moms

My mom, the magician.

My mom has magic powers.  She can make the smallest success seem monumental, and the worst day feel so much better.  My mom never knows what she is going to get when I walk in her door.  I go to her with good news, bad news, sad news, and even no news.  She is always the first to know everything because I couldn't imagine not getting her advice, her cheerfulness, and her hugs to make it all better.  I have driven to her house late at night and early in the morning...my mom's door is always open not only to me, but to everyone.  Everyone can count on my mom, and we should all be so lucky that she is part of our lives. In short, my mom just "gets it." I can be having a really bad day and all I want to do is cry or yell, but I don't; I end up driving to my mom's house, and the minute I see her face, I burst into tears.  She has the magic touch to make everything in life seem better, and with her immediate hug and a taco or two, I forget all of my troubles until the next incident happens, and there she is again, picking up the pieces.

I think the best quality of my mom is her ability to listen.  I am very dramatic with some (most) of my stories, and she listens to all of my nonsense and is genuinely interested!  And let's get real.  I have come up with some crazy ideas, and she always says, "oh, that sounds nice," or, "that's a good idea, why don't you try it?"  Never, EVER has my mom said, "you can't do that."  My dreams have been her dreams, and because of her, many of them have come true. 

The countless things that my mom does for myself and others cannot even be measured, because quite frankly, she doesn't tell people about most of them.  One day she asked if we could go to Wal-Mart so she could buy school supplies for a class in need.  She's taught me that if you have to get recognition for the service you do, then you probably shouldn't be doing it in the first place.  She always puts everyone else before herself, but unlike some people who would naturally build up resentment, she gets happiness from seeing others happy and taken care of. 

About a year ago, my mom took herself to the doctor because she wasn't feeling well (she doesn't like to bother anyone).  She had incredibly high blood pressure and was almost hospitalized.  For the first time, my mom said to me, "I'm really scared."  She's often scared about my grandpa or the shenanigans I'm up to, but she was scared for herself this time.  She committed to a healthier lifestyle, and her reason was so she could be around for everyone else.  I don't think that many people wake up and say, "I'm never going to eat anything with lots of sodium again," but she did and she has maintained that lifestyle for a year now, never slipping up, even around the holidays.  She is inspirational for many things: her kindness, her selflessness, her dedication; I am just so glad that she is mine.

My mom is my best friend; and no, I don't think that's weird.  We spend time together usually at least twice a week, and we have done so for years now.  In every way possible, we try to rearrange our schedules so we can spend this time together, even if we don't end up doing anything but talking.  But we also go on many adventures together: craft shows, book stores, nurseries, and even sometimes we just eat tacos and take a nap!  My mom is always up for anything (as long as it doesn't require her driving on the freeway).  This wedding will be yet another adventure we get to take together.  I am so glad I get to share it with her.  She didn't have her mom when she got married, so it is even more special for us to celebrate this moment together.  She is my best mom and I am her favorite daughter.

My almost mother-in-law aka Supermom.

Have you ever heard the phrase about a man marrying someone exactly like their mother?  Joe got pretty dang close (even though he has just realized it).  Nancy and I are two peas in a pod.  We both teach the same subjects and the same grades.  We both had red hair when we were born, and we are both blonde now.  We both cry at parades and fireworks and whatever else strikes our fancy at the time.  We both laugh at corny jokes.  We both get riled up over the smallest things.  We both fully admit that Joe drives us crazy!

Nancy was the second to last person I met.  I met her at Joe's restaurant.  I was eating at one table; she was at the table next to mine.  Nearly an hour later, Joe came out and said, "by the way, this is my mom."  I almost peed my pants, and if I were to guess, she did too.  Great introduction, Joe.  Through conversation, I learned that she was a teacher and taught the same subject as me (another thing that Joe could have brought to my attention.  Keep in mind, we had dated two years at this point!).  From then on, she was always extremely nice to me and made me feel like I was part of the family. 

Nancy has four children: two boys, two girls.  Watching her at holidays or dinners, she has this ability to give them all the attention they need.  Similar to my mom, she puts everyone else's needs in front of her own.  I frequently say to her that the family would fall apart if it wasn't for her.  She is certainly the glue that holds everyone together (whether they like it or not).  Why I think Joe and Nikki are similar, they all need to be "handled" differently, if that makes sense.  Nancy can do this and do this flawlessly.  She even changes her posture and her tone of voice depending upon which child she is talking to.  Even though I will be her daughter-in-law, she makes me feel like I am one of her own, and never separates the fact that I am "marrying" in.  She also is fine with the fact that I am and always will be the favorite, and flatters me by telling me I am.  She is Supermom, and I am her favorite.

*****

This post would not be complete if I didn't properly thank my School Mom.  My School Mom, Debbi, has six children of her own, but at school, her kids allow her to be on loan to me.  Sometimes I just need a "mom" to talk to right then, to help me see something I may not have seen before, to calm me down, or just to listen to me.  Debbi is the best at this.  She has the kindest heart and genuinely loves her job, her students, and me.  I always love to go in and talk to her; she makes me feel at home.  We talk about the funniest things just as much as we talk about the serious things.  Debbi has given me the best advice through the years regarding school, Joe, and my wedding.  Work doesn't feel whole without her there, and just knowing she is down the hall gives me great comfort (even if that sounds weird).  My life is truly better with her in it, and I wish her and her family the best that life has to offer.

Debbi is my School Mom, but I also want to wish a fabulous Mother's Day to two other moms who give me great comfort at school, and I am so thankful that they have taken me under their wing and listen to my craziness.  Sherri C. and Sherri J. have the funniest personalities.  I enjoy their sarcasm and talking to them in person or ranting via email.  I feel like all of these wonderful ladies have raised me in the past eight years, and I hope I make them proud.

Happy Mother's Day!

Love,

Kristin