The sun is up, the sun is shining bright
It chased away, the moon and the stars of night
The birds, the bees, the butterflies
Come a rollicking, joyful frolicking
Hail the day!
I HATED that song when I was a kid/teen!!! Now, looking back on those times, I so wish I could enjoy it once again (sort of! *smile*)!! I look back on those moments and laugh (while cringing! Haha!), but mostly I'm grateful for a mother who cared enough to wake me up every morning with a smile and a positive attitude (despite my grumpiness!)! It's for this reason that I decided to write this blog.
Dear Mama,
I know it wasn't easy raising a child with minimal Cerebral Palsy, but I didn't realize, until I became a Mama, just how much strength that took. You've told me stories about watching me fall and, after ensuring I was OK, making me get myself back up so I could learn how to do it on my own and be independent. First, I finally understand how incredibly HARD that is, especially when it goes against everything you feel inside!! You want to run to your child, pick them up and hold them, and make everything better...but that's not always what's in their best interest. You want to protect your child from the world and everything intent on hurting your child in any way. But, through moments like this, you chose to use them as teaching moments...to shape my thinking into understanding that I could do anything anybody else could, just maybe a little differently. All it took was figuring out what worked for me, and you helped me learn that at an early age. Second, I want you to truly know how grateful I am for that!! That trait alone is what has helped me survive in this world. I've been able to apply that "adapt and overcome" mentality into nearly every area in my life! It may take me awhile to figure out what works for me, so I may be "on the ground" longer than I'd like, but once I figure things out, I get back "on my feet and standing tall". Mama, you taught me the true meaning of unconditional love and the strength that it requires...and I admire you so much for that. It's amazing how much my eyes have been opened since I became a mother!
You taught me how to laugh at life...and even though I may be a little more on the serious side, you taught me that it was OK to be a little crazy too! LOL! The silly songs ("Dem bones gonna rise again!"), the holiday costumes, the "post-nap craziness"...all those things that I didn't seem to appreciate then, I so do now! Honestly, I find myself wishing I could be a little more like you in that way! My friends still remember those things about you! Oh, and how you used to love on my friends! I think sometimes, they loved/appreciated you more than I did (though, I'm ashamed to admit that!). I'm grateful for that and never fully realized the importance of that till I became a mom.
And then there were all the times in the kitchen...cooking/baking/canning. Those were some of my favorite memories and I truly learned from the best! I remember the pecan sandies (and powdered sugar everywhere!), licking the batter bowl, and my favorite was always licking the bowl from your homemade chocolate frosting!! YUM!!!!! (And it still is!!) I remember you teaching me to make fried okra...how you made it with cornmeal and fried it in a cast iron skillet, then baked it in the oven to give it that extra crispiness. That, by the way, was also a favorite!!
You were always there to take care of me when I was sick...from setting up that Devilbiss humidifier in my room, to Vicks Vaporub, making sure I had fresh, cool washcloths on my head, special foods to eat simply because it tasted good to me when I was sick...but most of all, just loving me...always loving me and having the patience of Job through it all.
You gave me my love for music...and some of my most favorite memories are of us singing together. My most favorite of those is singing on the front porch with you playing the guitar. You helped me learn to dance and I fell in love with it!! You encouraged me to try everything that interested me and you helped me through it! I was a cheerleader because you believed in me enough to encourage me to try! I overcame so many obstacles in my life because of your belief in me and because of your support!
Now, that I'm grown and a Mama myself, you're still there...listening, supporting, laughing, praying, keeping a certain favorite food on hand for when I stop by (*smile*), understanding, PRAYING (yes, that warrants repeating!). This list could go on, and I could cite SO many more examples in this blog, but the bottom line is this:
Unconditional love, FAITH, hope, strength, laughter, joy, independence, and a strong belief in our Lord...these are just some of the things you wove into my life and the foundation for who I am. Mama, you gave me the best parts of yourself and nothing I could ever give back could equal that. None of us are perfect and we all make mistakes, but Mama, you're perfect for me, and I'm so glad God chose you to be my Mama.
This Mother's Day, I couldn't think of the "perfect gift"...except the love and gratitude I feel in my heart. So, I decided to honor you in this way and share you with the world. Most of my life, you were content to be "behind the scenes", but Mama, you deserve to be in the spotlight. You truly are the Wind Beneath My Wings and I love you, honestly, with every fiber of my being. Happy Mother's Day!
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| This is one of my favorite pictures of me and my Mama - taken Christmas 2010, just a few months after her miraculous healing from colon cancer and a massive stroke!! SHE was the best gift I got that Christmas!! |
