My Mom - 70 Amazing Years

My amazing Mom celebrated her 70th birthday today. Her birthday has had me thinking back over the life I have gotten to share with this woman I call Mom. Mom, by definition means “female parent”, but any mom knows that is the lamest definition EVER. It can be the most unappreciated job that you can’t quit or walk out on! I will only share the definition of my Mom, and it is HARDLY exhaustive. I hope you get a glimpse of the amazing woman that I get the privilege of calling “Mom”.
• Cook – She is a great cook and not just supper. She cooked breakfast every morning for her family. I am so thankful for all the breakfasts she stood & made.
• Chauffeur – She got me to every Girl Scout meeting, every ballet class, every soccer game, & t-ball practice and that is just me. She had three children!! I would love to know the miles we put on that white station wagon.
• Spiritual Advisor – She raised her family on a foundation of faith. She wanted all of us to know & love the Lord.
• Professional Mover – My Mom moved us more times then I can count. She made sure we all knew how to pack a box so things would not be broken. We made two cross country moves with no breakage!  You taught us well Mom!
• Wise Business Woman – My earliest memories are in my parent’s upholstery shop that was behind our home in Ohio. Weaving in & out of fabrics & playing with tacks….ouch! She is an incredible business woman that always knew what to do & when to do it.
• “Single Parent” – My folks have been married over 45 years, but there were stretches of time that my Dad would be in another state finding work. The 80’s were not the best years. Many plants shut down, which we experienced not once, but twice. So Mom stayed behind sold homes, packed boxes, disciplined children, ran a home by herself! She amazes me!
• Cheerleader – Mom ingrained in us that there wasn’t anything we couldn’t do. We weren’t even allowed to use the word can’t in our home growing up. She would say “you can do anything you put your mind to”. I even got in trouble with a nun when I corrected her when she told me I couldn’t do something.
• Servant – I cannot ever remember a time my Mom hasn’t served. She has served her parents, her family, at church, at work & co-workers, her children’s schools & activities, neighbors, strangers, the homeless …….She is a beautiful example of servant-hood. We served as a family our entire life. I cherish the memories of serving together. A virtue that I treasure & want to pass on to my own family.
• Tenacious – She never gave up on me. I was quite a handful to raise. I really gave her a run for her money. I gave her a ton of heartbreak & disappointments, yet she always believed in me.
• Thoughtful – She constantly amazes me with how thoughtful & caring she is to everyone around her. As her daughter, she was always there with 2 weeks worth of food & tons of diapers when I brought babies home from the hospital. She always picks up the cutest things for you with “I thought of you when I saw this.” Always giving!!!!
• Biggest Inspiration – Now having children of my own & seeing my characteristics coming out of them, I am even more appreciative to my parents. My Hopie is so much like me when I was little. My parents have had the “you will get through this” talk with me several times! I find a peace in the fact that I am still alive & they didn’t kill me; also, that they survived raising me. They have some pretty fabulous stories of “getting through it”! So I too, know that by God’s grace I will get through this whole parenting thing!

This is a glimpse of the gift I have been given by my Mom. I would count it a blessing to be told, “You turned out to be like your Mom!”

Happy Birthday Mom ~ I love you so very much!

Your Daughter,
Elizabeth