Mother's Day - Part 1

I could write hundreds of blog posts on how wonderful my mom is. On how inspirational she is. On how much she means to me.

But when The Mercury sent out a request for readers’ favorite photos of their mothers, there was one particular photo that came to my mind that depicts one of the reasons my mom means so much to me:

I know... it's hard to tell we're related

*Side Note: My mom does not like this photo because she thinks she looks "too rained on". Personally, I don't see it. It wasn't even raining.*


Why is this my favorite photo of my mom?

Because, for me, this moment, my college graduation, my greatest accomplishment so far, never would have happened without her.

As I have hinted at in the past, school was always challenging for me in the sense that I tried to seek perfection and was very hard on myself when I could not achieve it (although no one really can). 

But my mom kept me grounded. She never let me be overcome with self-pity. If I called her in tears because I was positive I had just failed a chemistry exam, she would tell me to simply put it behind me, that it wasn’t the end of the world. She always kept me focused on the big picture.

And she was always right, as moms almost always are (However, Mom, I reserve the right to deny ever making that statement).

She was a mom, doing what moms do best… saying what I needed to hear as opposed to what I wanted to hear.

And it is for that reason alone that I managed to graduate college, accomplishing all that I did. Because my mom was there for me with a never-ending supply of encouragement, support, and patience, without ever letting me feel sorry for myself.

I should also mention that she had to be a mom to TWO overachieving college students simultaneously. Meaning, my neurotic phone calls were often succeeded by similar phone calls from my twin brother.

She truly is a saint.

So this photo is my genuine “Hey Mom, look, I never could have done it without you” moment.

When she reads this, her reaction will most likely be: “Oh, don’t be ridiculous, I didn’t do anything.”, because Moms are also notoriously modest about their mothering duties, but it’s what should and needs to be said.

And what needs to be said is a whole-hearted Thank You to the greatest mom a girl could ask for.

And as another primary Mom example of doing what one should do rather than what one may want to do, my mom and I will be spending Mother’s Day by participating in The Mercury’s Community Cleanup at Granshahawny Park in Douglassville from 8 to 10 a.m.

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Bring out your “inner mom” this Mother’s Day. Do what should be done (including getting up early on Mother’s Day to give back) and say what should be said. Say thank you to the person in your life who is always there to support you.

Thanks Mom!!!