Tribute to Mom

So now, as my kids would have said years ago, I've 'dissed' my father publicly yesterday...oops.  It was a mild dissing though.  8-)

My mom on the other hand was pretty amazing when we were growing up (and still is!).  After the divorce, she pursued higher education and achieved her masters degree.  She then proceeded to snag us back up from our grandparents house and raised us.

All my friends thought she was the 'cool' mom.  She was very lenient and pretty much let us do whatever we wanted to (within reason).  We were good kids so that was fairly easy on her.  (I think anyway...lol)  My friend Connie would come over to spend the night and my mom would let us have her big bed to sleep in and I remember once Connie and I were throwing grapes into each others mouths and laughing so much it hurt.  The two of us were always laughing.  Once we even got asked to leave a store because we were laughing so much.  They probably thought we were high but really we just found humor in everything.  Connie was my best friend growing up and I think fondly of her often.  Another story for another time.  8-)

Well, back to my mom.

She taught us that we could do anything that we really wanted to do.  I never felt limited when it came to accomplishing something because I knew that if I just applied myself that I could do it. 

She taught us that God should be the center of our lives no matter what we were doing.

She taught us that we could count on her during the hard times.  I remember several times in my life that she helped me when I was sick. (Remember Arkansas fever, Mom?)  She drove all the way from TN to AK to take me to the hospital when I was running an unexplained fever.  I was 18 or 19 at the time and we had just moved to Arkansas and I was too sick to take myself and my husband was working all the time.

She taught us to love each other.  My sister and I fought all the time growing up.  Just give two teenage girls only one phone and you'll see what it was like for her...lol.  She continually encouraged us to love each other in spite of our differences.  Yeah...that worked.  We love each other a lot now.  Of course, it is easier after you have grown up.

She taught me the value of friendship.  She is my friend.  I know that I can always count on her just as I would a best friend. 

She is very fun loving and outgoing.   I like to go places with mom because I am shy and she is outgoing.  So all the pressure is off of me to do or say anything to anyone.  8-) 

Anyway, you get the idea.  She was the stable part of our lives growing up.  She loved us and through loving us taught us to love those around us.  She  helped us become strong and independent women.  I believe that my sister and I owe a lot of our success in life to her.

Thanks for the good genes, Mom!