A special thanks to those of you that have been checking in on me since I took my new mom hiatus!  I finally created some time to come back to my love of writing after weeks of enjoying my new love of my life, Henry Michael.

I dedicate this to all moms out there.  Even if you aren’t a mom now, you might be some day or at least you have a mom in your family tree, and you may find some inspiration in this message.  That is my hope.
Or maybe, your mom is no longer with us on this earth and if that is the case, I hope this message can be a dedication to her great life.  I know you wouldn’t be where you are now without her.

Mother’s Day is fastly approaching.  Have you got your mom her gift yet?

This year I was a bit more proactive than usual and I already sent my own mother her Mom’s Day card last week.  I usually wait until the last minute and just go in on something with my siblings.

But this year is different.

This year, I am a mother.  Wow.  It still sounds a bit crazy to me.  Yet, as I write this, I am looking down upon my sleeping babe (yes, I know I probably should be sleeping too) and the truth continues to remain the same.  I am now, and forever always will be, a mom.  Life will never be the same.

I don’t know about you, but I never really understood what the life of a mom was like, or what that word mom really meant, other than just my genetic upline of my family tree. 

I believe that I took my mothers (for I did have more than one) for granted nearly my whole life. I expected my mom to be there for me.  To cook my every meal.  To kiss away every tear.  To bring me to every school sporting/drama/musical event.  To help buy my clothes.  To clean my laundry.  To make sure I kept my room clean.  To teach me how to be independent.  To challenge me to get straight A’s.  To make sure I went to a good college.  And the list of expectations goes on. 

And on. 

And on.

Yet do any of us really appreciate our moms?  Does it have to be only one day of the year to celebrate those special women in our lives?

What is/was your relationship like with your mom?

When I was four-years-old, my mom had a mental illness she struggled with and could not really be there to take care of us.  She left us at that time and I know all of us, my siblings included, felt that void in our lives.  That was something I rarely, if at all, ever talked about until my adult years.  I was embarrassed (even ashamed) to admit the truth for a long time.  Even after my Dad remarried and my step-mom took over five years later, I don’t know that I ever really gave her much of a chance of being appreciated by me.  The “Mom” role seemed to not be important in my mind and was definitely overlooked during my overly busy childhood.

But now I see it all quite differently.  If it weren’t for those two moms in my life, I know that I wouldn’t be where I am today.   Even if they weren’t there physically for me at times or if I felt they didn’t understand me, they were (and always will be) my mom.  I’m glad I realize that.  No one succeeds alone without a mom!  Heck, no one gets born without one.
Now that I have carried my own child to term, have discovered sleep deprivation as my newfound foe, have given up my triathlons for almost a year and even put my career on the back burner, etc., etc., I have found myself wearing a whole new set of glasses of a mom’s world.

Mom’s are pretty darn amazing.

Now, did you get that gift yet?

I think it is safe to say that moms don’t necessarily want a whole lot of impressive “stuff” for mom’s day.  Even if you just put a list together of your “Top 10 Reasons Why I Am Glad You Are My Mom”, I bet she would like that.

Or, go to www.shutterfly.com and upload your favorite picture to send her a nice card with your mug on it.  Or make a mug with your mug on it.  Moms can never have too many coffee mugs (I am finding this out as coffee helps with my sleep deprivation!).

Maybe even just a simple phone call will do.  Especially if it has been years since you talked to mom.  Let the past be the past.  Enjoy the present moment you have with mom.  You’ll never regret it, for you may not get too many more moments to miss.  You just don’t know what the future will bring…..

Here’s to Mom!  We love you and thank you for changing our diapers, wiping away our tears and all those sleepless nights (at any age we kept you awake).  Every day is mom’s day in our books.  You deserve it.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 at 1:01 pm and is filed under Lois' Current News, Self. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.