An Homage to All the Moms
We love you for all you’ve done and all you do!
Having just celebrated so many great moms in my life on Mother’s Day, and with my own mom’s birthday right around the corner, I had to dedicate this post to them. For starters, you all absolutely amaze me. And when I say I’m amazed, I don’t mean because you display some perfect approach to motherhood (we all know there’s no such thing). What I’m amazed by is the genuine strength and raw love you show for your children, and that includes all of our imperfections and flaws! Life certainly isn’t perfect. It’s full of ups and downs, wins and losses, but having a loving mother in your corner makes every moment better.
When I think of my relationship with my mom, I have to give her a ton of credit. Growing up wasn’t all rainbows. We had plenty of battles, especially through junior high and high school. There are teenage moments I wish I could take back, but despite the worry and frustration I know I caused, her love and support never wavered. We grew through those challenging times like so many moms and kids do, and today we’re better for it and as close as we can be. We talk and text just about every day. Even living 600 miles away, I have to make sure she lets me know when she and dad are home after a night out!
Growing up and to this very day, I can tell my mom anything. She’d say I probably shared more than she needed to know, but whatever we talked about, her wisdom helped me become a responsible, hard working, independent woman. She also taught me how to be kind, laugh and love your family and friends with all your heart -- and a lot of homemade tortellacci!
Today, I now have the privilege of watching my sister fulfill the role of mother. I was so protective of her growing up, and I still am. She is strong, loving, funny, real as heck and would do anything and everything for her family. Motherhood has come so naturally to her and it’s incredible seeing her in action. She’ll say she doesn’t know what she’s doing, yet does everything beautifully. I think there’s real wisdom in that honesty. I have to thank her all the time for making me a zia to an awesome niece and nephew. It’s one of my absolute favorite roles in life.
Two other roles I love are being a daughter-in-law and a sister-in-law. Jay and I are coming up on our one year wedding anniversary, which means I also get to celebrate having two other amazing women into my life: My sister-in-law Jen definitely put some magic into the universe for Jay and I. She is smart, loving and kind, and she welcomed me with open arms!
And my wonderful mother-in-law Joyce and I have a very special relationship. We are similar in so many ways (it’s kinda spooky), and have grown very close very quickly. It’s funny, I can see parts of my personality that are more my dad or my mom, and now I am having plenty of Joyce moments. I feel like we understand each other very deeply and am so blessed to have another amazing mom in my life.
All these women have had an impact on me and my now role as a stepmom, zia and coach/teacher. The strength, support and grace they have shown, along with their constant love, is just remarkable. And when you think about how they have done this while juggling careers and often caretaking for their own parents throughout the years, it’s astonishing.
So, here’s to all the moms, step moms, and mother figures out there. Wherever it comes from, there’s no love like a mother’s love. If you know how amazing that feels, let them know how grateful you are, and make sure you are giving it right back!