Happy Birthday, Mom!

Several years ago, my mom helped a little one at church wash her hands. As mom handed her a paper towel, the little one asked, “Whose mama are you?” If I had been there, I would have cheered, “MINE!!!!!!”

Raising us, mom was our mom; she didn’t try to be our friend. She didn’t hesitate to say NO when it was for our own good; she didn’t squelch on discipline because we might be mad at her for it. We are better off for it and somewhere along the way, probably because of this approach to parenting, mom stopped being just my mom; she became my best friend.  

My mom is the only person who, on a regular (almost daily) basis, can finish my sentences and know what I’m thinking before I even know what I’m thinking. She’s always saying that being a mom is her job; I’ve fired her several times for using those telepathic superpowers on me. Within 10 minutes, she finds a way of getting re-hired. While she’ll always be mom, I really like those moments when she trades in her mom hat for the friend hat, and we talk about everything from the complicated stuff like shoes and adventures to the simple stuff like work and finances. And we may be the only two people in the world who prioritize like that; it works for us. J

But better than her ability to know what I’m thinking, what I love most about mom is that she gets me. When I say things that seem to make perfect sense in my head but that actually make no sense when the words hit air, mom knows just what I mean. I don’t even have to try to explain myself. She’s just right there in my thought with me. I like that. It saves time (I have big complicated rambling thoughts!)

And she makes me laugh A LOT. If you’ve ever spent any time with mom, she’s a funny lady but you have to be a quick and quirky thinker to keep up. Since we have the same sense of humor, keeping up is no problem for me but there are times we leave other people in the dust. And I’m OK with that, we are like our own little secret silly society. Giggling makes the world go ‘round, don’t you think?

And, on the flip side of being hilarious, she’s the strongest woman I know. She handles trauma and tragedy with grace and tact. When she’s hurt, she takes the high road and doesn’t say the things she’d be well within her bounds to say. When I have a decision to make, I do what I think mom would do in the same situation.

Mom’s always there when I need something and she always keeps me on my toes, asking questions that make me think and that make me wonder how far I could go if I set my mind to it. She pushes me to try new things and to go beyond what I think I’m capable of. She supports everything I do, even when the idea is wacky or nonconventional. She has, however, drawn the line at skydiving. She only wants to know about that AFTER the fact.  

So, today, as she celebrates her birthday, I hope she knows how much I love her, how much and often I need her (even when I say I don’t), and how grateful I am that she’s figured out how to be my mom AND my best friend.

I love you, Mom. Happy Cake & Candles Day!