there was once a time during my angst-filled teenage years that i told my mom i wished i had a different mother.
we were having a tiff and my mom said to me, "who would you like to be your mom then if i'm not doing a good enough job?" i didn't even have to think: mrs. wallen. oh she was the best, you guys. she was my best friend madelynn's mom and she was the absolute coolest. she was a great listener, she let us get panera at 9 pm, she even brought us snacks at sleepovers and let us stay up hella late. basically, she was perfect. and i had no problem telling my mom she should be more like her. what an asshole i was. sometimes my mom brings up that conversation and we now both agree: mrs. wallen has it going on. but as much as i adore mrs. wallen i now know that my mom is the best because she was made for me. or i was made for her. or maybe we were made for each other. and i'm sorry, but 9 pm panera bread bowls can't hold a candle to that. i hold moms in such high regard. all moms. mommin ain't easy, yo. it takes guts. it takes patience. it takes grit and a whole lot of grace. to be a mom is to eat your meal cold because you're serving others. to be a mom is to hold off on things you want because of the things others need. to be a mom is to sacrifice. and not just sometimes. every day. being a mom means giving the hard truths in a gentle way. being a mom is loving your kids for who they are, even when their friends seem much better behaved. being a mom is diligence and kindness and love. even when you're tired and pissed and hangry. i have been privileged to meet some pretty incredible moms over the years. and in learning from them i try my best to incorporate some of their baller-parenting skills into my classroom teaching. i try to have cristin's ever-present cool tone and clever wit. i try to be kind and gentle in everything i say and do like linda. i try to be easy-going and patient like holly. i try to be a great listener like susie. and i try everyday to be funny and engaging like my mom: with a snack at the ready (just in case). perhaps what i find to be most extraordinary about moms is that they are unapologetically imperfect. i have never met a mom who claimed to have it all together. never. and i think that's because to be a mom you understand something: perfection is unattainable. it ain't gonna happen. but every family is perfect in their own way. and so is every mom. today i salute you, moms. for the tears you wipe away. the messes you clean up. the infinite lost shoes you locate. the hugs you give. and the love you never stop sharing even when your punk of a kid tells you someone else could do a better job than you. i am so thankful for my mom. so honored to be her kid. and so excited to have a new mom in the future. how lucky am i to have so many wonderful mothers in my life? thank you , moms. mrs. wallen and company. you are appreciated and adored. i love you. xo, ld
0 Comments
|
archives
July 2020
categories |