I know it’s not Mother’s Day yet, but why wait? Why spend just one day praising such important folks? Long time readers are either getting tired of my regular praising of the mothers and other women in our lives or are cheering their constant respect. Hopefully, you are one of the latter. If however, you are tired of all this – tough.
I have a friend that constantly goes on about how wrong it is to put women on a pedestal all the time at the expense of men. While I agree that the trend of every movie or tv show to include a super strong woman and a stupid man is wrong, I don’t think the opposite of that is to switch those positions. Women and men are equally required to create a family and although the roles are wildly different, both are important.
Okay, enough gender wars… back to Mom.
Mom & Dad
The role of mother is such an important one – despite what popular media attempts to show. Sure, men can give love and nurture their children, but it is nothing compared to a mother’s love. The roles are different.
I am so grateful to have such a wonderful mother. She has a self-effacing style that hides the amazing woman who I know as Mom.
Her intelligence was evident when, as a child, I would ask her what I felt were deep, insightful questions and she had the answer at the ready. When asked how she could possibly know so much, she responded, “Because moms know everything.” I believed it then and believe it today.
What I learned wasn’t just why the sky is blue, but a genuine love of learning – a passion to ask questions and seek out answers. I cannot thank her enough for that.
She was also my comforter, my safe-haven when I was attacked by my brothers that chose to smack me anytime something wasn’t working in their lives. That’s a lot of smacking as they dealt with teenage angst. She would tell me, “you’re going to grow up bigger than both of them and they will be afraid to mess with you.” I did and they stopped.
But Mom also taught me that it wasn’t right to start smacking them around or seek revenge. She didn’t teach that one so much in words but in deed. I couldn’t imagine doing something that would hurt her. As jerky as they were to me at times, they too were her babies.
That has to be one of my favorite things about my mom – she is a genuinely nice person. She is not a wilting flower or a pushover – but a seriously nice person. The opposite of nice is not victim as some of the cynics of the world will tell you. Mom is not a kick-ass street fighting, action movie hero or boardroom ball buster. She is strong in her way and yes, long-suffering in others, but always strong. I love that I have that example in my life.
I love you, Mom!
What do you love about your mother? What about her makes you grateful?
Chris Doelle
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