The Reflection of a Mother

When I was growing up I pretended to be my mother and my brothers pretended to be my father. I imagine all children mimic their parents when they are young. After all, they are supposed to be our role models, right? So, it should come to no surprise that as we matured we would become more like one of our parents we idolized. But the truth is, we are all a reflection of our mother no matter our gender.

I have four brothers. They are all very different in their own rights, but also are alike. Their similarities are formed on the foundation laid by my mother and father. Because my family was raised in the sixties and seventies, I can say with certainty, that the foundation laid for my siblings and I were put there mainly by my mother. She was the nurturer, the enforcer, the cheerleader, the rule maker… she was everything. Now this is not to say that my father was not these things as well, but for our military family, my mother was the constant while my father was away. She was the one that taught us all to cook, clean, use manners, dream big or go home, and yes, work hard. She was the one that showed us what courage looked like in the face of adversity, sympathy towards others, and inclusivity when at all possible. She was not perfect, she made mistakes. She lost her temper, and she wouldn’t find us when playing hide and seek (shame on her) but that was okay. We learned that being perfect is not real, and because of this, we learned to accept our own imperfections as we matured. And we did mature…all into successful, kind, and caring adults she could be proud of. And then we all got married, brought into our family the most amazing spouses, and later, children.

That’s when I realized that everyone holds a very special part of their mother inside of them. My husband loved his mother dearly. She was stoic, smart, logical and fiercely protective of her children. Guess what? My husband is ALL of those things (and more.)  My sister-in-law’s mother is genuinely kind in her southern way, relaxed and entertains with ease. So, it was no surprise to see my sister-in-law mimic these traits. Another sister-in-law’s mother is classy, dynamic, smart… you guessed it, she followed in her mother’s footsteps. I could share all my extended family’s “mother similarities” but the point is, we somehow emerge into adulthood with our mother’s better qualities than those imperfections she wishes to hide.

As a mother, with grown children, I wonder what qualities I will have instilled into my own children. Will they be the same that I got from my own mother or will they be different? Will my children wake up one day and find they see me when they look in the mirror? Will they see my silliness, my free spirit, my laughing eyes looking back? I hope they do. I hope they see a confident, energetic, positive person ready to meet the challenges of the world. I hope they possess all the wonderful qualities I got from my own mother as well. For there is no greater joy than to see the reflection of a mother in your own child. And so, to all the mothers out there who wonder if their own children possess one ounce of their amazingness… the answer is yes and Thank You! Just look in the mirror and you’ll know what I mean…

Happy Mother’s Day!

To My Mom~ I love you dearly and thank you for all you have given me over the years…especially your silliness!