My mother is PATIENT.
She was that mom who would wait for you in a parking lot to come out of school while you goofed around. She was the one who would tolerate your friends even if she didn't like them. She would sit for hours while my sister and I splashed in our pool and I'm sure she had lots of other things to do. Some nights went into early morning when she'd sit at the table while I cried about being a thirteen year old girl. Though she was probably angry often, she was patient on letting go of those feelings. And even now, she's patient with me when she needs me and I'm busy.
My mother is INDEPENDENT.
Though she will ask for help when she needs it, she does almost anything she wants on her own. My father did, and still does, work crazy hours. There was no counting on him to help with my sister and I. We were a trio that did everything. She took us anywhere. Now that we're not at home, she's been able to go to classes and learn new things, travel on her own, and meet new people. I find this skill to be very intimidating and it took me nearly thirty-three years to grasp even the littlest bit of it.
My mother is CREATIVE.
Gosh she can create some of the most awesome things. I'd say she was a Pinterest mom before it was a thing. Over the years her creativeness has gone from knitted clothes, to Tri-Chem art, to ceramics, to ornament creations. She's a calligraphy artist, an ornament maker, and a sewing expert. In the past twenty years she found her passion is in quilting. Now she's a fabric artist that teaches classes and makes some of the most amazing quilts you've ever seen.
My mother is LOVE.
Though there have been times I suppose my mother and I didn't see eye to eye there simply isn't a time when I could say I didn't feel loved. If anything, I think my sister and I knew that she loved us more than she loved anyone or anything in the world. I have five sons that love their grandmother so much and it's not just because they call her Grandma. It's because they know they are loved by her and in turn love her to pieces.
I'm very blessed that I hear, "You're a great mom," a lot. I think I was able to take all of the good things from my mother and roll them into my parenting. I was very lucky to have the mother I had growing up. She taught me how to be patient, independent, creative, and to love my children with all my heart and unconditionally. Hopefully those are things I too will pass on to my children for when they become fathers.
I love you, Mom. Happy Mother's Day!