In light of Mother's Day, I was able to think about the past 20 years with my mother. Like every mother-daughter relationship, there have been ups and there have been downs. I spent a lot of my childhood wondering why she couldn't just be one of the "cool moms" like Regina George's mom, or why she never let me drive to school without a driver's license. As a fifteen-year-old, a lot of these things made me feel like an outcast or a lame duck, but now that I am older, wiser and smarter, I am more than thankful for (most) of the things she's done to raise me. Unfortunately, I have never had the time to thank her for the "odd" things she has done for me.
Mom, thank you for:
1. Not getting me that Coach purse.
And also that 2014 Mustang GT. You taught me that even though I am a millennial, I am not entitled to everything. And also because I don't think Coach purses are really even a thing anymore.
2. Making me get a job when I turned 16.
Even though I hated working in high school and playing three sports, this taught me the value of a dollar (and the amount of taxes that get sucked out of a paycheck). I learned that if you want to succeed, you have to really, really work for it. This also made me want to graduate college because God forbid I live off of minimum wage and zero benefits the rest of my life. Champagne is not bought on a beer salary.
3. Judging my past boyfriends harshly.
You see past the things that I cannot when I am in "love." You know who is good for me and who is not, and you have no fear of letting me down, because you only want the best for me.
4. Telling me like it is.
Sure, I probably cried when you told me that my acne was terrible, and that I gained ten pounds. But, I would have never known the severity of the situation until you told me plain and dry. Oh, and thank you for telling me that my outfit looks tacky. I might not change, and I might not care if I look like a perfect 10, but at least I am aware of my current state. Heaven knows, my friends would not have the guts to confront me as bluntly as you do.
5. Barking up my tree.
I'm lazy, I will admit. If it were not for you, I would have never gone to extra English II tutoring sessions. Thank you for always nagging me about my grades because if not, my future would consist of me wearing a knock-off Louis Vuitton purse and working a minimum wage job for eternity.
6. Never being a friend to me.
You never played the friend role to me, and I am more than glad you never did. You played the role of a loving parent. You taught me discipline, responsibility and manners. You did all this with love, to make me a better person. You never wanted to get too friendly in fear that I may not take you seriously, and that has made all the difference in me becoming the woman that I am.
Yes, these are things normal people usually aren't "thankful" for, but I am. No, my mom is not perfect, nor is our relationship. We have mess ups, and we don't agree on a lot of things. But, I can agree that she has raised a pretty kick-a** daughter and did a pretty good job at it. These lessons have left an impact on me and I plan to use them throughout my life.
Thanks Mom, and Happy Mother's Day!
(Can we have cookies for dinner?)
