One tough mother...

The first word that comes to mind when I think of my mom is tough.  A simple glimpse into her life would tell you she is just that…tough.  Though she has no idea just how strong she is, I have always seen it in the backdrop of our lives.

As a small kid, I saw my Mom as a superhero….she gave life to everything around.  She could turn a simple book into something so real I thought I could actually smell the flowers in the book.  Looking back, I have no idea how she ever had time to even read us books. 

One of my absolute favorite childhood memories was lunchtime with my Momma (before school had to go and ruin that for me.  Ha!).  She would come home at lunch and hold me in her lap while she watched soap operas.  That was “our” time…when it felt like she was all mine….and we could just sit and be together.  That was the best.

If you’ve ever seen my Momma with my sister, you know that the Lord made no mistake when he made her Leslee’s mom.  She’s incredible!  I have never seen anyone be a more perfect Mom for a child, than in watching my Mom with Leslee.  She just has something so special it’s unexplainable.  I watch her with awe…wondering how in the world she manages all she does…and wondering how she always knows exactly how to handle any situation that comes her way…especially when it comes to my sister.  We are two very lucky girls!

The part though, that stands out in my mind with unmatched color is how well she handled me, Leslee, and my Dad as he was dying with a brain tumor…all while working, and keeping “home” as normal as it possibly could be.  She probably has no idea how much I was watching, and probably doesn’t even realize all I saw, but damn, that woman is tough.  She met all of us right where we needed her.  For me, that was the play-by-play in anticipating what was happening, though I tried so desperately to will it away.  She was strong; she was incredible; she held us all together.

I admire her strength in the storms more than any other example I’ve had in life.  I love so many things about my Momma, but I have to say I love that she’s taught me how to be “tough,” even when it’s hard and even when it hurts.  She’s the strongest person I know….she’s one tough mother!  She’s mine.

Happy Mother’s Day, Momma.  I love you!