My mom has taught me so much over the years. In honor of her birthday, here’s a list of reasons why she truly is a gift to everyone who knows her.
Her Humor
If my parents taught me anything, it’s how to laugh. Constantly making jokes is a good way to keep yourself from taking yourself and life too seriously, and my mother (and father) has been teaching me that for as long as I can remember. Whenever I thought that the world was going to come crashing down because I had failed a test or had a zit, my parents were always there with a joke and a hug.
Her Compassion
My mom works as a veterinarian technician, so every day she’s trying to help animals feel better while comforting frantic owners. On top of that, she raised three teenagers and helped them through all the trials and tribulations of growing up, which, for me at least, included a few freak outs about grades, school, and how exactly the next twenty years of my life are going to go (spoiler alert, that’s not something you can actually figure out). Every time I freaked out, my mom would listen to me and help me calm down. It was almost always something stupid, and her ability to hear me out when I freaked out about something that wouldn’t matter in three months is amazing.
Her Patience
As I said before, my mom raised three kids, and even though we were “good” kids, we would still moan and groan whenever she asked us to do anything, even if it was a simple task. I get frustrated when I ask my brother, who I have no authority over, to do something and he gives me a hard time about it. I can’t imagine how much patience she must have to deal with three people who are supposed to listen to her constantly whine about taking out the trash.
Her Work Ethic
When me and my brothers were growing up, my mom would stay home with us during the day and work nights at the vet hospital. I’m not quite sure when she slept, but to this day I’m awed by her ability to come home from running around, lifting animals bigger than her, and crawling into cages to give medication, and then go on to make dinner, do laundry and wash the dishes. The older I got the more I tried to help out around the house, but it didn’t change the fact that she was a boss lady who managed to do all of this (with some help) for years.
Her Intelligence
Being in the medical field, my mom has a lot of knowledge of medical issues, treatments, and medications. Being a smart woman, she also has a lot of common sense. My mom definitely knows more than me, and she is great at giving advice (even if I don’t always take it). She can spot a bad friend before I can and warn me, but she also knows when it’s time to apologize and mend bridges (I love holding grudges).
Her Loyalty
My mom is pretty much on my side no matter what, and remembers when I’ve been upset about something someone did. So if we’ve gotten in a fight, my mom probably knows, and she doesn’t like you.
Her Honesty
Growing up, my parents were always very honest with us about mistakes that they made when they were younger. Not only did this make us feel like we could talk to them about anything that was stressing us out in our lives, but it also made me feel better when I messed something up. It’s always nice to know that you’re not the only one that’s made a dumb mistake.
Her Hospitality
One memorable St. Patrick’s Day, my mom made six corned beefs, since we knew that a lot of people would be stopping in throughout the day. Both of my parents are always ready to host any friend or relative passing through town, and are more than happy to open up our house to visitors for holidays. My brothers and I know that our friends are always welcome at the table, and, as long as we give fair warning, my mom with make a meal big enough for everyone at our house.
