Just Like Your Mother! Thanks.

It’s Mother’s Day weekend --- a time to celebrate your maternal side.  As farmers, we need to say thank you to lots of mother figures:  Mother Nature, Mother Earth, and, closer to home, the person who delivered us into this world.  All of these mothers are keys to life itself.

The first time someone told me I was just like my mother, I was confused and a bit surprised.  As a youngster, I didn’t see my mother as a role model.  She was simply my “mom.”  As I have gotten older, I know that it just came naturally for her to put her strong character, opinions, and work ethic into her offspring.  I now consider that statement one of the nicest compliments I can receive.  I am fortunate to be able to once again celebrate Mother’s Day this Sunday with the most loving teacher, care giver, and critic I know.  She has nurtured me as a child and cheered my success as an adult.

As I was growing up, my mom spent many hours teaching my older sister and me the fine arts of cooking, cleaning, and sewing.  She tried her best to prepare both of us for the future.  She gave us the courage to be independent and to strive for careers that allowed us to utilize our talents.  She knew that those lessons would make us self-sufficient and would someday lead us on our own paths to success.  Mom would have to share us with many people over the years, and our special family times would be less frequent as my sister’s and my careers demanded more days and years away from our first home.

Today both my sister and I have followed in the footsteps of our maternal mentor, and have become mothers as well.  No matter what accomplishments we may have realized in our chosen fields, there is no greater achievement in life than giving life to someone.  In my sister’s case, two sons crowned her with the title “mother.”  My crowning achievement was Emilie, and I’ve been happily celebrating Mother’s Day, thanks to her, for the past twenty-three years.

From her first heart beat, I fell in love with the title of “mom.”  Learning the role wasn’t always easy.  During the first few weeks of Emilie’s life, I called on my mother for advice on how to deal with the incessant crying when colic gripped her tiny body.  Mom’s shared wisdom aided me immensely as I dealt with the joys and anguish of motherhood.  The topics were diverse and her knowledge immeasurable.  She was a reliable source for sound advice, and a grand substitute when I had to be away from my daughter.  My mother welcomed the title of “grandma” with open arms and immersed herself in that special stage in life where she could love, teach, and “spoil” her granddaughter.

As Emilie has grown into a young woman with an independent spirit and a dream to succeed in her own career, she has probably heard far too often “you’re just like your mother.”  I beam with pride when I hear the comparison, because I am her biggest cheerleader, just as my mother was for me as I was growing up.

Motherhood has been a blessing, a gift, and one of life’s biggest challenges.  It is a job that is never-ending and never fully appreciated.  One special day a year, we honor mothers everywhere.  It’s a time to say thank you to Mother Nature, Mother Earth, and especially the person who gave us life.  It’s a time to hug our children.  It’s a time to cherish the opportunity to celebrate Mother’s Day and everything we love.

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