Mothers are wonderful

Some of you know my history.  You may have known me as I was growing up and if so you know that I have an amazing mother.

My mom has on occasion told me that the day I was born was wonderful and amazing.  A miracle even.  But, she also reminds me that, "It hurt!"  Well thanks for birthing me mom!  Thanks for nursing me (until I was 2!!), changing my poopy diapers (with reusable diapers and pins!!), for raising me and teaching right from wrong, for putting me before yourself, and huge big ginormous thank you for putting up with me through the teenage years.  Yikes!

I am a lucky woman to have had such a role model in my life.  If you have met my mom you know how motherly she is.  Growing up friends would hang at our house a lot and even after I had fallen asleep (admittedly that was usually around 8pm) my friends would hang with Donna.  She's a snuggly warm mom and I never for one second have doubted her love.  Even when she didn't much like me/ my behavior, I always knew she loved me.  She is a woman who takes care of others by nature- it's who she is.  As an only child I was fortunate enough to have her all to myself for my first 30 years (until Ada was born), but am even more fortunate to have her as a nana to my children.  In fact I believe she was born to be a nana.

At Tower Hill sometime in the past- I think this was a Mother's Day trip.

Eating fresh picked oranges on the tour bus in Sicilia.

Outside the Children's Museum in Minneapolis with the girls.

Over the course of my life I have been exposed to some wonderful mothers.  Growing up I had a neighbor who transcended the lines of neighbor/friend to a whole other thing that there really isn't a name for.  If you've met Peg you know of her true awesomeness.  You know that she gives to her children fully and unconditionally.  I remember her telling me one time that she read every book her children read in school so she could talk with them about it.  Every book!  Are you kidding me?  She is an athlete and is able to take things seriously while also having an amazing sense of humor.  I just love this woman.

I am lucky enough to have had her in my life at a time when I needed a grown up who wasn't my parent.  I needed someone to listen and she did.  I needed someone who I knew would offer some responsible advise but when it comes from someone other than your parent it can be easier to hear when you are, say, 16 years old.  Without her, my life certainly would have taken a different path- not for the better.

These women have deeply influenced who I am as a woman and as a mother.  I am so grateful for that.  Since becoming a mother myself I have thought much about what kind of person I want to be and become for my children.  What kind of example I want to be setting.  Sometimes I feel like I succeed and of course I have my failures too.  But again I have had the pleasure of having some amazing women touch my life and help inform my mothering.  Thank you to all the mothers in my life.  Thank you for listening to me and helping me talk through my craziness.  Thank you for helping me be less crazy.  Thank you for reminding me that motherhood is hard.  Thanks for the advise.  Thanks for the laughs and for listening to me cry.  I love you all.

Thank you too to the two lovely ladies who made me a mother.  The girls who make me feel more than I ever knew I could (and I was emotional to begin with).  I never knew there was that much love in the world and nothing makes me more proud than to see you being kind to each other.  You are truly the best little things to happen to me.

Happy Mother's Day