I want to be that kind of mama

Though a little part of me thinks Mother's Day and Father's Day is just not the way it should be - the other part of me can't help every year around this time to get really excited to try to show my mom just what she means to me. I don't like the holiday because I do hope that every day I treat my mom and dad extra-special. I hope I show them how grateful I am everyday. And now that I am actually a mom, too, I really understand what went into making me to be such an amazing woman. :)
But I do hate that many of us feel compelled to run out and buy flowers or a fragrance or a $4 card when we could have said the words better ourselves and just been available for our mom on that day rather than give into the "Hallmark Holiday". I want to just be with my mom on Mother's Day and share stories of our crazy upbringing. I don't want her to have to lift a finger or do a dish or think about a meal but like most years, I too, run out and get the card and something special just hoping that my sentiments will be obvious.

Well, this year is a little different. I am a mom, too, (surprise surprise) and I have an even heavier heart of thankfulness for all that my mama sacrificed over the almost 30 years of child raising. Atleast once a day I think to myself: "self, how in the world did your mama do this with such grace, poise, and patience? Especially when there were 4 of us!" Well, I don't know that answer. I am not that mom. I am so much more selfish and dependent on other people than she ever was. My mom was home with us everyday and often my dad was travelling and somehow she kept her cool and made growing up such a fun thing (atleast my only memory is that she kept her cool!)

For myself and my other mommy friends just trying to make an impression on a child and end the day without a melt-down everyday - here are just a few of the countless things I have learned about being a mom, through my mom and my very best friend.

*Being a stay at home is a sacrifice, not just a pleasure.
*Dancing in the car and singing at the top of your lungs is the best natural drug - even if it embarrasses your teenage children
*"This too shall pass"
*A mom is NEVER too old to roller skate
*A mom like my mom would truly wear a potato sack for a dress everyday if it meant giving her children things they wanted
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*A coke is never your own coke. I can see now why my mom just sometimes wanted her own cold coke!
*A note left on the counter that says "Your dad will talk to you about this in the morning," isn't necessarily a good thing

*Be still and know that He is God and don't worry about tomorrow.
*Dancing will keep you young and eventually you just may have to accept that your other half looks like he is digging for potatoes when dancing but atleast he is trying
*Breakfast for dinner is never a bad thing.
*Learning to drive with mom will always be easier than learning to drive with dad.
*Singing to Trisha Yearwood and Madonna for 6 hours straight are a sure way to make a trip to the beach go quickly
*A spoon is long enough to reach little rascals legs when they are misbehaving in the car

*You don't have to drink when you are a mom - if you are like my mom, just turn on some music and you feel just as good!
*You will NEVER sleep the way you did before kids! My poor mom has not had a true night of sleep without a phone call in years. Even if it is just a phone call telling her that one of her children has misplaced a shoe or a jacket.
*Life is always more pleasant when you focus on the good in people rather than the ugly
*Throwing a party is fun and easy as long as everyone stays out of the kitchen! Thanks to her, I love to entertain and host people just the way she does (and she does it often)

*50+ still looks good in a tennis skirt if you have the right genes! (I hope I have those genes!)
*Being a mom is the most challenging but rewarding job that I will ever have and luckily I have the best example to follow and try to live up to.

Thank you, Mama, for loving selflessly, living passionately, and for being my very best friend even when I am often hard to love. I want to be a better mom because of the mom you have been to me - and the grandmom you are now being to Brooks. I hate that it takes me walking in your shoes to truly understand the sacrifice you have made to raise children. I adore you all the way to the moon and back!