All About My Mother

You didn't think I was going to let the day get away without paying tribute to you, did you mom?


Since the day I started this blog (which was only a few short days ago, mind you), I've been thinking about my mom and all that she has taught me. Which is everything I know about being a mom. She was the reassuring voice on the other end of the line encouraging me that my instinct as a mother was God given and that "parenting books are fine and all, but sweetie, listen to your gut." She was the one modeling healthy eating habits, raising most of our food organically in our back yard long before it was the trend to do so (in fact, I think most of the neighbors thought we were strange). Making just about everything from scratch. Trying to teach me to sew, quilt, crochet, knit, and embroider long before DIY became its own genre in the blogworld and bookstores. She's the smartest, most truly intellectual person I know and yet she would never make you feel bad for not knowing what the Nicene Creed is or for mispronouncing Nietszche or Proust, both of which I've done on several occasions! She has a pure and insatiable thirst for learning and talks about the things she's passionate about in a way that is inspiring and not patronizing. Despite being such a smartie, she saw the value in staying home with us four rambunctious kids until we were all in school, waiting until then to go back to school and earn her degree. She taught my brothers and I the value of hard work, a job well done, and tenacity in the face of adversity.

I swore up and down when I embarked on this blog that I wasn't going to make it too personal, but it's Mother's Day and I think it's my prerogative to break the rules every once in a while. So, Mom, I hope you know how much I love you, how much I rely on you, and how grateful I am to have you as my mom.