i've grown up a bit, and learned the solid facts: my mom IS a superhero.
on the outside she looks like a regular mom that's transitioning into a grandma--she wears her laugh wrinkles with pride. but on the inside, my mom is a true hero.
photo by Debby Leavitt Photography
like i said in my story, my mom didn't ever stop. she worked from before the sun came up until her body made her stop at the end of the day. i always had a lunch pre-made before I left for school, which may not seem like much BUT during my senior year of high school my first class was at 6:20 IN THE MORNING. my mom was always awake, had made my lunch and finished a load of laundry all before i even woke up. i've also come to learn that my mom doesn't ever take breaks. some people may think she's taking a "late nap" when they see her zonked out on the living room floor at 7:30pm, but no. she's usually out for the night. she wakes up before the sun and gets a head start on all of her mom and wife duties and then works tirelessly through the rest of the day. she is the real deal and the mom version of the Energizer Bunny.
my mom is great at playing. something i think she learned from her own mother. i had the opportunity to live with my grandmother and grandpa in the fall of 2014. one day, i was downstairs helping my grandmother with something when she walked by a train set that a few of the great-grandkids had left out. she began to kneel down and i quickly said, "oh grandma, i can pick that up!" to which she responded, "i'm not going to pick them up, i'm going to play with them!" you're never too old to play.
my mom is a literal jack-of-all-trades. she's a high school math teacher by profession. but she also has acquired these skills and titles:
- rebar cutter. when my dad built my childhood home, my mom was working right along side him. She learned how to cut rebar and (i believe) install it throughout the building process.
- master cleaner - she can clean ANYTHING with vinegar, I'm sure of it.
- grandma of three spunky little girls, two of which live out of state. however, my mom and dad make regular visits.
- trash picker-upper & shopping cart putter-awayer. If my mom had a dollar for every piece of trash she picked up, she would have a LOT of dollars. and if i had a dollar for every cart my mom has made me "just go grab" i would have even more dollars. there's no arguing with mom about picking up trash or putting away carts. "people get paid to do this," isn't a valid argument either because, "well you have two good legs and arms, so you can pick it up or put it away!" OR "but you're a junior ranger! be a junior ranger!" are always her reply.
- professional sweeper. my mom sweeps harder than anyone i know. she passed her secret on to me at the young age of nine, "if you're not sweating, you're not doing it right."
- furniture mover. my mom moves our furniture more than any other person i've ever met-- probably more than actual furniture movers move furniture. if you won't help her move it, she'll figure out a way to do it herself. i can count less than a handful of times when my mom said, "we'll just wait for more help."
- waterski champion. my mom gives my dad a run for his money on the slalom. she hardly ever passes up the glass at lake mead, and then she makes us all look bad when she "didn't want to get her hair wet" yet she went on a five minute run, while using the wake as a ramp to get air, and then finishes by just letting go.
i know my mom is a superhero because i've tried to implement some of her practices into my life and i can't do it. she has really mastered this mom/wife thing. however, she HAS been married for over 30 years and she's almost been a mom for the same amount of time. my momma has grown so much as a mother, just in my 23 years of living. and it hasn't gone unnoticed. i'm so grateful for my mom and her wonderful example of love and trying again tomorrow if today wasn't that awesome.
i think all too often moms beat themselves up and compare themselves to "seasoned mothers." but if you're loving your babies and trying your best-- then you're doing it right. give snuggles and kisses. read stories over and over again. play trains and dollies. unplug EVERYTHING for a week & just enjoy one another's company. love on your babies and then love on them again!
here's something i've learned in my life that applies to everyone, but moms especially: you can never spoil someone by loving them too much. show your love in copious amounts!
and then remember: you are a superhero in your children's eyes.
today i want to share this song: she put the music in me by calee reed