It's easy to get caught up in all of the ways that your mom has embarrassed you. This time around, I decided to look at all of the times my mom was a total rockstar. I wasn't all that surprised when I realized there were so many times when my mom showed me what it meant to be a strong independent woman. In honor of her birthday, I decided to focus on just a few.
The many times when she told cancer to shove it.
Mom has faced the scary reality of cancer several times. The first few times it was melanoma. The most recent occasion was breast cancer. Throughout her entire experience with treatment, she maintained her workaholic demeanor and made time for our family. I had never felt so scared in my life, but I have never felt so happy as on the day that she told me she was cancer free.
When she didn't falter for a second raising my sister and I on her own.
This is not to say that my dad had no part in my sister and my upbringing. However, Mom has been our main caretaker for the past 10 or so years. At the time, my parents getting divorced was unthinkable. Somehow, Mom managed to turn that devastating time into a lesson of putting others before yourself and making sure that your family is always taken care of. To this day, Mom takes care of all of the things I need from college tuition to talking me down from anxiety attacks. It's because of her that I know what unconditional love looks like.
That time she beat everyone in flip cup.
My mom isn't huge on athleticism, but she put all of us to shame in several rounds of flip cup. Whoever said parents weren't cool enough to hang out with their college kids had it totally wrong. My mom is a total boss and will always be welcome to hang out with my friends and I. I even considered bringing her to a frat party last Halloween.
When she proved that natural disasters aren't enough to bring her down.
Not only did she wade out Hurricane Hugo in in 1989, but Mom also walked away from a series of tornadoes in March when in Illinois on business. Broken glass and being evacuated from her hotel wasn't enough to make her freeze in fear. She may as well be a survivalist.
When she supported my decision to go to Appalachian.
I had planned on going to UNC Chapel Hill my entire life. I was devastated when I got wait listed. Eventually I got in, but by that time I realized that there was something about Appalachian State that I wanted to know about. I told my mom that if I was wrong about App then I would transfer to Chapel Hill later. She simply nodded and let me do whatever it was that I wanted to, proceeding to say that she was pretty sure I would love it here. Three years later and, as usual, she was right: I love this school more than anything.
The many times a boy broke my heart and she showed me how to learn from it.
It's basically public knowledge that I haven't had the best luck when it comes to relationships. Fortunately, Mom was with me every step of the way. She taught me self worth and how to know if someone values who I am as much as I deserve. She taught me how to handle being cheated on and objectified by others. She taught me what I should and shouldn't tolerate. She taught me how to love and be loved.
Every time she has a birthday.
Every birthday Mom celebrates is another year I get to spend with her. There's no feeling that can top that.
Happy birthday, Mom! Thanks for being super cool!
