I grew up with my sweet mama reading me that timeless book of the little bird going to all of the different animals asking if they were his mother, but one thing I never questioned was who my mother was.
I love Mother’s Day, and now that I am a mother myself, I truly see and understand the love my mom had for me and why she did anything and everything to help me along the way through life.
My mom never had it easy, her life was anything but a cake walk. She lost her parents at a very young age and was always working her tail off to keep a roof over our heads. She and my dad divorced when I was about 6 and we then moved to Corpus Christi after she met my stepdad. She was working graveyard shifts, and still never missed a single event at school.
For a more flexible schedule, she started up a company with my stepdad doing commercial and residential painting, which entailed busting their butts all day every day doing manual labor. But that was never an excuse not to make dinner or miss a single practice or game, no.
I can never thank my mom for all she has done. She has shown me what unconditional love is my entire life. I wasn’t the best and easiest child in high school (aren’t we all a little tough?) and that never caused her to give up. She could be so angry at me, but you better believe she was in the stands at my volleyball game the following Tuesday. She has shown me that hard work pays off, I was always required to do homework, no matter how late we got home, and poor grades were never an option.
There were times I hated the structure. I hated that my parents had such standards for me and that I did not have the freedoms many of my friends had. I hated that I couldn’t just date whoever I felt like. Because of that love, that structure, and those expectations, I went to college on grants and scholarships, never having to pay a dime. I had high standards for a husband and, believe me, I found one who far exceeds those expectations.
Without a doubt, I am a better mother, wife, and friend because of the woman my mom is.
Take this mothers day to really sit back and be grateful for your mother, we are all raised so differently but that is the beauty in it all.
Let your mom know how special she is, and how grateful you are for her love and support.
THANK YOU mama, thank you for NEVER giving up on me, for always fighting for me, for pushing me to my limits because you knew I could do more than I thought I could. Thank you for being at every single game, presentation, and awards assembly. For cooking all of my dinners, for teaching me how to clean, teaching me how to drive, and how to work hard. Thank you for sending me to Young Life camp, making every birthday and Christmas so special, baking all of those cookies, allowing all of the sleepovers, taking me to the garage sales, and always making me feel special.
Even though the list could go on and on and on, most of all, thank you for loving me like there was so tomorrow. I hope I am half the mom you are to my sweet girl.
Happy Mothers Day to all you fabulous moms out there!
In honor of Mother’s Day, our contributing writers are reflecting back on favorite memories of their own moms. Enjoy these stories of what these daughters loved and learned.
Read more Memories of Mom stories and perspectives from Corpus Christi area moms.
