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[#1]

Writing about my Mom is not an easy task.  How could I possibly do her justice in just a few paragraphs?  The answer is, I can’t.  But I can share some of the things with you that make her so special to me.

My Mom and I are very close.  I am an only child and I think that fact has proven to be a wonderful foundation for our relationship. 

Yes, my parents showered me with attention as I was growing up.  But my Mom never babied me.  She treated me as a person, not just a kid, when it came to conversations about life, school, friends, etc. 

My Mom encouraged me, from a very young age, to have the confidence to talk with adults, to ask them questions, and to be respectful and polite.  Thank you, Mom, for helping to build my confidence. 

My Mom is probably one of the most patient people I know.  I believe it is one of the things about her that made her such an outstanding teacher.  She taught kindergarten and first grade for nearly 40 years.  She won teacher of the year awards, pioneered the idea of multicultural teaching in the classroom, wrote countless teaching books, and led workshops on teaching for others.(Guess you can tell how proud I am of her, huh?)  

My Mom was usually the first teacher in every morning and often the last teacher to leave each day.  She didn’t cut corners so she could scoot out early.  She worked hard to be the best teacher, every day, in her student’s lives.  Thank you, Mom, for teaching me how important it is to do your best every day.

My Mom had a consistent theme in her parenting: feelings matter.  From the youngest age, I can remember her talking to me about something I may have done or said and how it may have caused hurt feelings for someone else.  She always validated my feelings but she really taught me to remember to always think of others.  She has walked this walk my entire life.  Thank you, Mom, for teaching me to be kind.

My Mom has been a wonderful Grandma to Kylie and Trevor. 

She loves spending time with them and they adore her. She is their biggest fan,their favorite playmate, a trusted advisor, and their all around favorite buddy. 

When Trevor was a baby, I remember watching her with him…how gentle she was when she would hold him and how loving she was as she would play with him.  I felt like God was giving me the gift of being able to look back in time to see how my Mom loved and held me.  I still seek her counsel on all things parenting on a regular basis.  Thank you, Mom, for teaching me how to be a good mother. 

My Mom is a kind, soft spoken, and gracious woman.  She keeps fit by walking and working out every day, doing crossword and jigsaw puzzles, and eating right.  She loves to laugh, is known as “Scorekeeper Grandma” at Trevor’s baseball games, and can make a great lasagna. 

I still don’t know where her strength came from after my Dad died…and I admire her resolve to move on with her life after he passed, by moving closer to me, and by joining activities to make new friends.  After so many years of me living in Pennsylvania and she living in California, I love that she is close enough for us to have lunch together, see a movie together, or just be together because it’s Tuesday and I’m bored. 

She is my best friend.  She advises, but never judges.  She listens and knows when you need a hug.  

Thank you, Mom, for just being my Mom.

xo, 

Jill

PS:  Some of you have seen when I’ve roped my Mom into being on camera with me.  If you’re looking for a new recipe, check out the time when Mom and I made her yummy Sock it to Me cake!

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