Why I Love My Mom

Looks like the title of a 5th graders essay contest right?  Well I guess that’s appropriate since my mom teaches 5th grade.  With Mother’s Day around the corner and as a new mom, I can appreciate what my mom did for not only me but also my three bothers and sisters and so I thought I’d honor her a little bit by sharing some of the best lessons we’ve learned from her.  These lessons come in all types: those that I’ve built my life around, those that I live by day to day and everything else. 

To give you a little background on my mom, she’s the oldest of 5 and has always been a teacher long before she got a degree in education.  She met my dad in college and was a synchronized swimmer.

Can you figure out which one is my mom?  (Hint: look for the one that might be corralling kids)

Enjoy!

Life Lessons:

1. You are responsible for your actions – It’s no one Else’s fault – So many times, I wanted to blame my mistakes on an external conditional that I “obviously” couldn’t control.  Mom never let me do that and today I’m a stronger person that makes decisions knowing that I am solely responsible for the outcome.  No one else.  I will be teaching this to Baby E. 

2. Marriage is for life – My parents have had their ups and downs and there were times when I, just observing would’ve said “That’s it” but they have endured for over 30 years and continue to work together.  I don’t believe in an perfect relationship but finding the right marriage for you and your spouse.  S and I have been married a little over 2 years now and we continue to figure out what works for us.  It’s obvious that this will be an ongoing process but I love him more now than ever before. 

3. Family comes first – In my mind this is obvious but that might be only because my mom lived it daily.  As we grew up, she was always sacrificing her time and money to make sure that my brother and sisters and I could attempt every sport or activity that we could come across.  She would even put my prom dresses on lay away and pay as she could so I could look “Awesome”.  I’d post a picture but they are in storage.

Day to Day Lessons:

1. Advil Cures All – I was a klutz to say the least, and Mom somehow always knew when something was serious enough to need medical attention or not.  When she deemed it to be a lower grade injury her response was always “Take An Advil”.  To this day, you will ALWAYS find Advil in my medicine cabinet but I do consider myself a tough cookie thanks to this lesson. 

2. Couponing is Essential To Feeding a Family – My mom was an extreme couponer before the term existed.  She and my dad would take all us kids to the one grocery store in the area that would ad match, double coupons and allow for multiple coupons.  She would spend all Sunday morning with the ads spread across the counter circling feverishly.  Then we’d go and spend a couple hours at the grocery store analyzing prices and products.  It was soo extensive, the cashiers would run away and the manager would have to check us out.  That store is no longer in business.  But I do look for deals, download and clip, and we have saved lots of money because of that. 

3. Red Meat is for special occasions not to be eaten all the time – Mom was always trying to comply with the dietary needs of a heart disease patient.  We grew up eating homemade healthy meals nightly and when we’d get red meat, pizza or anything that wasn‘t chicken or turkey it was a special occasion.  This is how I live my married life today.  Even with a demanding job, athletic goals, housework and a baby, I always try to cook a healthy meal for my husband and me.  I can make chicken a 150 different ways.  We love our vegetables and aren’t afraid to eat leftovers.  This lesson is probably going to prove to be the most valuable over the long term. 


4. You can feel it when Mom says “Does he feel warm?”  Baby E woke up this morning and after kissing his head, I immediately noticed that he was feeling warm.  After taking his temp, he did in fact have a fever.  I’ve NEVER been able to feel what mom meant when she’d say that until now.  I feel like I got a new badge on my Mom Sash.  

Happy Mother’s Day Mom!