I Love My Mom

I'm constantly quoting my mom on this blog: "My mom says [insert pithy but true statement here]." It's because I have a really great mom. My mom always gives me good advice, and she reads my blog too, which is kind of her considering that she's probably got fifteen lessons to plan at any given time. So I thought I should introduce you to my Mom.

Mom helps keep me on an even keel. When I get all hot-headed (a trait I inherit from my dad) and write nasty letters, I read them to her and she persuades me not to actually send them. Mom doesn't lose her temper and is a good example to me, since I often lose my temper with the kids when whining is involved.

Mom's advice is invaluable. Her best advice (outside of child-rearing and dealing with other people) is on the subject of bras. She has always advised her daughters to buy good quality bras. (Unfortunately for me, my budget does not listen to her advice.)

Mom always deals gently with me, but never mollycoddles me. Once when I had been complaining repeatedly about Favorite Husband, she just flat-out told me that I shouldn't speak about my husband like that, I should just go work it out with him and solve my own problems. It had a profound effect on me. Everyone else I had talked to had listened and nodded as I ripped F.H. a new one, so I just kept doing it. No one had ever told me I had crossed the line, but my mother did. I went home and did what she said. I have a great marriage now.

Mom quit school to be home with us kids. She was always there for us. I regret every time I mistreated her as a kid (although Dad helped me learn to regret some of the times). She always encouraged me to be whatever good thing I wanted to be. She never said a word about how I would put on my moon boots in the middle of the summer and pretend to be an astronaut. When I went through my architect phase, she let me want to be an architect. She bought me a horse-drawing book at the peak of my unicorn obsession.

Mom always saw to it that we had the best of everything that she and Dad could afford. We grew up reading Greek myths and Grimm's fairy tales (not the Disneyfied versions) and actual literature. She gave us real cheese to eat, not that "Pasteurized Process Cheese Food" crap, so we weren't fooled into thinking that stuff is actually what cheese is supposed to taste like. She cooked us yummy dinners and made us fun lunches.

The ultimate compliment I can give my mom is this: When I grow up, I want to be just like her.