Some people are born great. Some people become great. Some people have greatness thrust upon them...and then we have moms. To be an awesome mom is not only to be a great person but to also be self-sacrificing, fair, and kind. These qualities are traits that describe my own mother who has become the biggest role model in my life. I wouldn't be nearly as put together or happy without her constant love and support growing up. I am truly thankful that I have my mom as a major influence in my life.
When my mother married my dad, she also married the Army. She willingly moved many times over the past 21 years despite having to leave close friends and endure the changes a new environment would bring. Did she complain about it? No. Beth Barr is a strong woman who leaps over challenges that life brings her without throwing a pity party first. She would put herself on the line, even if she was sick, to provide for her children and to accomplish any task at hand. If any natural disaster would like to try to stop my mom from getting her work done, it would have a tough time because my mom wouldn't give it a fighting chance.
Unlike some mothers we all know, my mom never picked a favorite child out of her three kids. She held my sisters and I accountable to the same rules. She disciplined us when needed it and gave us praise when we earned it. I was never made to feel like I had to one-up either of my baby sisters to get attention from my mom. Like my mom always says, "I love you each equally and I have no favorites." These fair ideals helped raise me and my sisters to value everyone as our equal no matter the scenario. We learned to judge an individual not based upon external things like military rank or popularity but based upon principles such as fairness and transparency that govern their actions.
Thirdly, my mom taught me what it really means to be kind. Every day my mom would run errands for different clubs my sisters and I attended in high school/middle school. If there was anything going on at our school my mom was the first to sign up to volunteer, sometimes without knowing what she would be getting herself into first. It never ceases to amaze me the time commitment my mother had to organizations that we were mostly just members of. She would give so much I thought her head might explode from all the events she would have to help run or set up. Luckily, her head never blew up and she's still able to keep herself on track. My mom is one of the most unappreciated people I know. I don't think we can give her enough praise for her kind heart.
Finally, I love my mom and I don't think I'll ever tell her that enough. She's my best friend and my mentor at the same time. I think I will miss her the most when I go back to college this fall (but sometimes breaks are in order). I know Mother's Day has passed, but I think we should celebrate the awesome mothers in our lives more often while we still can. I'd be lost without mine. Who would you be without the great mother in your life?
