Growing up, I often heard how much I look like my Mom. I still do (I even have the same wrinkle forming in between my eyes that Mom has). Now, I've decided that not only do I want to look like my Mom, I want to be my Mom when I grow up... =)
While there was a period of time that Mom and I didn't get along so well, looking back now, I'm wondering if it's because we were more alike than I wanted to admit... Deep down, I have always admired my Mom. There are four kids in my family (and there is only a 6 year age difference between the oldest and the youngest!) and Dad had to travel on and off for work. Growing up, some people thought it had to be nuts growing up in a family with kids that close together, but it was nice to always have someone to play with. While it was nice for us to always have someone to play with, I know that it wasn't always easy on my Mom.
Even though there were the four of us, Mom always made sure to give us individual attention and treat us as the individuals we were (we are even more individual now than we were then). She always made the time for us and made us feel special (even if it was just drawing a cartoon of us on our brown paper bag lunches the days we had a field trip - - I miss those lunch bags!).
As we grew up, Mom went out of her way to be there for us as well. Long nights on-line trying to find big enough cleats to fit the feet of a giant football player (youngest brother)... trying to figure out how to keep running shoes on the feet of the other boy in the family who liked to run out of shoes while running cross country.... making costumes for me or my sister.... cooking dinner for us all nightly.... helping with homework.... and all of the other things that we may have taken for granted growing up... My Mom was SuperMom and she still is! =)
When I was a teenager, I thought that Mom and I would never see eye to eye on anything. That wasn't because of her but because of me. I went through a phase where I had a large chip on my shoulder and Mom was unfortunately my target. Looking back, I regret being so hard on her but I also know that period of time helped make us as close as we are today.
Not many people can say this, but I got to go to college with my Mom. She had always wanted to be a teacher but left college when she got married and had kids; always with the plan to go back to school. She didn't have the opportunity to go back to school until my junior year of college. She and I took many of the same classes and while lots of our peers thought it would be weird to be in school with their Moms, it offered Mom and I the opportunity to grow closer together. Going to school with Mom offered me the chance to see her apart from just being my Mom but her own person apart from her job as Mom.
As I've gotten older, I have begun to appreciate looking like my Mom. Like I said, while I've always looked like her on the outside, I want to be more like her on the inside as well. My Mom is a strong individual and helps to keep me grounded (no, not the sitting on the steps kind of grounded). =) She wanted to go back to college and did. In the last few years, she has gone to ballroom dancing, belly dancing, is signed up to take a class on how to play the ukulele, she is a fabulous costume designer/creator, she is a great Oma and she still goes out of her way to help her kids (even though we're all 'grow-ed up' we still go to Mom when we need help).
Mom, thank you for always being there for me, even if it's just listening to me rant and rave and being insane over some small insignificant thing. Mom, I wish I could put more into words what you mean to me and how appreciative I am of everything you've done for me and all you continue to do for me (I hope I didn't embarrass you too much!). I love you, Mom! =)
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