Mothers Day

As the only non-mother in my department, I have to work on Mothers Day. But that doesn't mean I can't brag about the best Mom in the whole wide world [biased opinion noted.]My Mom is one of the most selfless people you'll meet. She was born to be a Mom, but ironically, when she was a newlywed like myself she wasn't even sure if she wanted kids [!]. She was bound and determined to be the best career woman in St. Louis. This is one of those facts about my parents' past that boggles my mind. Don't you just love those little facts? Look at my adorable parents on the night my Dad first told my Mom he loved her. She sent me these pictures after my L-bomb post:)
She had me when she was 27 years old, which is how old I am today [thank you very much]. And I'm sure she was scared to death. Actually, I know she was because of the her journal that she wrote when I was a baby. Remember this post? It still ranks as one of my post popular ones:)
I am forever grateful for my Mother's love. She loves both of her children with all of her heart. She is 'that Mom' who would give anything in the world for us to be happy. She left me little notes in my lunch box, told me she loved me every single day, hugged me in public, embarrassed me to no end in high school, taught me to be proud of myself and follow my dreams, passed on her Type A personality to me, gave me my creative talents, accepts my every flaw, listens to me when I have mini-mental breakdowns, supports me in everything I do, loves me unconditionally and made me who I am today. I owe her many foot rubs, kind words, and care packages. I owe her more 'thank yous' than I can count. I miss my Mom dearly. Even though we lived in different cities when I was in St. Louis, at least it was a measly 2 hour drive to visit. Now the 8 hour drive seems a bit daunting and has definitely lessened our face-to-face visits in the past year. But honestly, no matter how many miles separate us she is always there for me. Be it by email or phone calls, we stay in touch better now than we ever did. Maybe it's because the older I get, the more I can relate to my Mom. I feel connected to her as I journey through my own marriage, because hers is my ultimate example. I respect my parents' 33 years of marriage more than they'll ever know and I hope to follow in their footsteps. I think every mother-daughter relationship has it's ups and downs. I made ours ridiculously difficult when I was in high school, and I know I'm not the only one who can admit this. We fought way too often as I tried to earn my independence and create my own identity. Going away for college was one of the best decisions I made and instantly I gained appreciation for my Mom. It's only gotten better with time and I can definitely say my Mom is one of my best friends. I might even call her 'cool' which would make the 17 year old Julia furious, but it's true. She's pretty much the bomb. So even though I can't take my Mom out to brunch or give her a big fat hug on Mothers Day, she knows how much I love her. And she should have received her card in the mail by now, too, to provide physical evidence of my love:)
You are the best, Mom. I love you and miss you and will talk to you soon!