Mama Bird

This is late.  Sorry 'bout that.

February 28th was my mother's birthday!  So I wanted to take a moment to celebrate the wonderful woman she is.

Anybody who knows my mom, Linda, knows that they have met somebody special.  She is not your typical...anything.  :)  She does not fit into your conventional categories of "preacher's wife," "professional," "homemaker" or even "mother of three"  Nope.  She adds her own twist to things, and I wouldn't have her any other way.  

Perhaps some stories will help make the point.  

She was not the typical mother.  She clapped louder than all the other moms at my first band concert.  She screamed louder from the stands at football games than anybody else (yes, even from the end-zone on the opposite side of the field, I could hear my mom over the band).  She hugged more, beamed more, and bragged more than any of my friend's moms.  A favorite story: once she tried to ground me and my brother for having messy rooms.  About, oh, 5 mins into our punishment and she told us to come outside.  Why were we summoned outside you may ask?  Simply to play in the freshly made mud left by a recent shower.  You see, my mom recognizes that experiencing mud between your toes is more important than having folded socks. 

(mom at my 1st birthday)

Mom is not the typical preacher's wife.  Growing up in the church, I met many a homemaker that proudly wore their prize casserole and country-chic decorated parsonage as a badge of honor.  That wasn't my mom, and (no offense to anyone with a rooster themed kitchen) I'm glad it wasn't.  No, my mom was the woman who was learning Cherokee in her spare time.  By cassette tape.  (Abby, I'll explain what those are when you're older).  When I came home from school, I was sometimes greeted with with monotonous sound of my mom sounding out "Oooo-Ssssiiii-yuuuu, Oooo-siii-yooooo"

As a professional, my mom has taught me that people really can love what they do.  She is so smart.  So. So Smart.  The kind of person who read the chapter 3 times (or more)...just to make sure she really understood the material.  The kind of person who passed the doctoral level examination as a master's level practitioner.  The kind of person who really takes joy in helping others and lives to help those in need.  Working in juvenile detention centers, battered women shelters, and with the mentally handicapped is not always grateful work - but my mom always put her all into working with these, and other, populations.  When I went to college, I swore I would do anything except psychology...well, so much for that - but I'm so happy to be following in her footsteps.

And now, my mother is a Granny.  I know this makes her happy, it makes me happy too.  Becoming Abigail's mom, makes you think about how your own parents raised you.  Well, I have nothing but awe and thanks for the heart and soul my mom poured into the job of raising us kids.  She put up with our antics, entertained us, laughed at our jokes, and never missed a performance.  I see So many kids who don't have this kind of love in their life- and it is something that I had always taken for granted.  Well, I don't take it for granted anymore.  

I love my mom more than anything - and as I've so often said - I'm not always great at showing it the way I should - but mom, I want you to know, that you mean so much to me, you're my inspiration. 

So happy birthday mom!  I love you.  Always have. Always will.