Saturday, May 11, 2013

Mother's Day....

     I fell in love with basketball when I was very young, it was a way for me to process growing up in a healthy athletic way.  I looked forward to the games, scoring points, getting the game ball, and most of all looking into the stands and seeing my mother there EVERY SINGLE GAME.   She was my cheerleader, constant positive enforcer  and always was there for everything no matter how minor.  I'll never forget I had a track meet with the hurdles for a state qualification meet in high-school. Long-story short I fell on the last hurdle, and my mother came running out on the field as I was sobbing knowing I had lost my chance at qualify that year.  Instead of going to the side-line and getting bandaged up, she whispered in my ear, "finish the race," and as I did ( sobbing,) I'll never forget how proud my mother looked as I crossed the finish line. She taught me to never give up no matter what, and yes I made it to states the following year. She taught me life lessons without even trying...her actions spoke much louder than her words. Her continued presence at band concerts, plays, father-daughter teas at school, and all the other rolls my mother had to play.  Bringing home a C on a report card was not good enough to get into college she would tell me, and at nights at the dinner table we would learn the work together to improve my grades, and yes I graduated with honors from college due to my mother! I remember her waking me up early every morning with cereal on the table ready for school, as she studied herself because she was going back to school herself.
        To a fatherless daughter who promised for  years he would come to birthdays, important games, awards ceremonies, graduations (the list goes on, and yet never came to any) I always had a constant in my life....my mother. She taught me the importance of charity and no matter how little we had, we were to be grateful.  We volunteered at food banks, invited aquatint's  who had no where to go on holidays to our home, and along the way we were taught how lucky we really were no matter how little was in our bank account, because we had each other and our health above all.  I never knew how hard she had it, food stamps, borrowing family members cars because we didn't have one, nursing during the day, cooking for wealthy families in the summer, and cleaning houses every Saturday.  She did this to not only pay the bills, but to pay so we could go to camp, take lessons, and save for our college.   I typed on a type-writer through high-school and brought it to college, as soon as my mom saved up enough money she bought me a computer.  My mother was forced to be the mother and father  She grilled our first dates and if you ask them, scared the life out of them. She held us as we sobbed when we were left crying from a boy at school who, or  as our father had promised us he would pick us up for Christmas and just never came. Promise after promise was broken, another tear fell down our cheeks, and yet another soft whisper to tell us it would be ok from a man who was not a father to his three children   My mother worked her butt of to raise great kids, who may have given her a bit of trouble along the way, but was the definition of unconditional love.
       I look back now and wonder how the hell she did it. I have a caring husband who works hard to pay our bills and have a savings, who stays up late feeding a newborn, who tell me to just get out for a break from the kids; and I wonder how she did it all those years alone.... So here is a happy wonderful mother's day, which no card, gift, or message will ever show how much she has done for her children.....and yet will never ask for anything more than an "I Love You" phone call. To woman who did it all alone, I look up to you. My mother, my protector, my children's grandmother, my best friend, and most of all the woman who I will always LOVE, like the way I love my girls. Happy Mother's Day to all you who deserve it, especially mine. I hope I can make you proud as a mother, and daughter.
My mom holding her first grandchild Olivia

My Mom and her Oldest Justin



Maggie, Myself, My Mom and Justin





My sister and I at the beach with our Mom



the love of  a grandmother to her grandchild...



My Mom as a child ( I believe far left)


Pretty sure my Mom is far right

My Grandmother and her FIVE daughters :)



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