My Mom Did the Mother Thing Right

Motherhood didn’t come easy for my mom. After a few complications and fertility drug treatments, she had my older sister in 1984, and was finally able to add three more children to her family in 1986. We just all happened to come at the same time. She always jokes that before she found out she was having triplets, she told her doctor she would jump off the Harbor Bridge if there was more than one. Clearly she didn’t, and in 1986, my brothers and I were born. We were 10 weeks early, so we faced a lot of challenges, but I’ve never heard her complain about those rough times. I’m sure there were many days when we made her question her sanity, but I have an awesome mother and it didn’t take me becoming a mother to discover it. So here are just a few examples of how she did the mother thing right. (Dad, if you’re reading this, you are equally as awesome and many if not all of these points can also be attributed to you. But since it’s Mother’s Day, I really have to focus on her. Sorry.)

The Look

All moms have The Look, but our mom has it down to an art. I swear she spent our newborn months perfecting it in the mirror at night when we wouldn’t let her sleep. If you’re going to be outnumbered three to one, you have to develop the scariest look possible. And she did. I haven’t seen that Look in a long time, but even now as I remember it, it is still the most terrifying face I have ever seen.

The Whistle

My mom can do this really loud whistle using her mouth and fingers, and from a young age we were conditioned to respond to it. It wasn’t exactly like the Von Trapp Family whistle, but it was shrill and easy to hear. Anytime we were on a playground or in a crowded room, if we heard that whistle, we would freeze in place like a bird dog and turn to locate the sound. It was and still is very efficient at attracting our attention. (She did it a few months ago and it still totally works.)

One Meal at Dinnertime

My sister and I HATE onions. My mother was well aware of that fact and completely ignored it. She would put onions in everything if she could. (Gross. Right now I’m imagining what an onion birthday cake would taste like.) So when she made dinner, did she leave out the onions because we didn’t like them? Nope. Did she offer to make a second meal because we didn’t like what was in the original one? Double nope. She taught us to accept whatever meal was put in front of us. Sometimes we don’t like what we are given in life, but we have to eat it anyway.

You Can’t Quit Something You Are Committed To

Ugh. High school volleyball. I still have nightmares about it. Let’s just say those were not the best times of my life. I started playing volleyball in middle school and decided to play through high school as well. As far as appearances went, I had the look of an ideal volleyball player. I was about six feet tall and weighed about 145 pounds. I was by far the tallest person on the team. But sadly, that’s where the comparisons end. I was basically a clumsy giraffe on the court. I was constantly tripping myself and running into my teammates. I was never in the right place when it mattered. Sure, I had my moments, but overall, I wasn’t cut out to be a star athlete. When my senior year rolled around, I decided I didn’t want to play anymore. That’s when my mom stepped in and reminded me that we don’t quit something we are committed to. Whether it is Family Choir, Safety Patrol, or Student Council, once you’ve decided to dedicate your time, you have to stick it out.  People are depending on you to keep your promise, so you cannot be the one to let them down.

She Came to Almost Every Event Ever

Four kids can keep you pretty busy. Each of us had hobbies or activities that would require a ride over here or a game over there. Somehow she managed to juggle all four of our extracurricular lives and not have her own life fall apart. She never complained about sitting on a cold metal bench to watch a baseball game at 8:00 in the morning, or about sitting through a million (super boring) choir and guitar concerts. I understand now how valuable time is, and she dedicated so much of hers to making sure her kids felt loved and supported.

Respecting Your Elders

From a young age we were taught to say the standard “please and thank you” and “yes ma’am and no sir,” but also to never call an adult by their first name. That was considered to be very rude and it must never be done. To this day, I still have trouble calling adults by their first name. (I think I called my in-laws Mr. and Mrs. Cassidy for a few years until my mother-in-law begged me not to do it anymore.)  Besides just showing basic human decency, respecting one another goes a very long way.

She Is My Best Friend

When the day is over, I know I can always count on my mom to be there for me. We’ve shared countless Banana Royals at Baskin Robins and hundreds of secrets. I’ve made enough late night phone calls bothering her about how to properly cook chicken or asking if I can die from whatever current illness I happen to have. She’s always the first person to hear my great (or not so great) news and support my life decisions. She’s my best friend, but sadly that took me a little longer to figure out.

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.