She taught me everything

It's hit me more than ever.

Mother's Day was an eye opener for me.

You see...I'm a foster parent.

Which means, in my personal case presently, I do the work of being a mom.

however, I don't get the benefits or joys that a mother does. 

And looking at my mom and at such a great mom at that, there's so much more I could have done to show her how much I appreciate her.

I think about all the times that she was up late cooking, cleaning, or taking care of our home.

The times that we would sit back and just think, "Oh, that just what mom does."

The times that we would all be gathered in the living room after dinner and into the evening....but mom was still busy cleaning up and making sure the kitchen was clean before the night retired.

I think about the times that mom would be up late ironing clothes for my dad and us. 

And the times that everyone else had settled down for the evening, but mom was still moving around from here to there, taking care of our home.

And I think about all the times that I could have shown her my appreciation and thankfulness...but being a child in that house, I was so comfortable, secure, and loved, that as a child, I guess it didn't cross my mind that often that mom did all these things because she LOVED us.

She loves us.

That's why my life was comfortable.

She loves us.

That's why I grew up with a close knit family, because she took the time to prepare big dinners each night so we could have family time at the table every single night...and we didn't eat dinner, until all of us got home.

She loves my daddy.

That's why my sisters and I always felt so secure.

She loves us girls. 

That's why we grew up in a stable consistent environment, even with being in a military home where we would move every 3 years.

She loves me.

and That's why somehow over the past 24 years of my life, I somehow absorbed what it means to be a wife and a mom. I know my role. I know my desires as a wife and what I want to be to my husband. I know my role as a caregiver and what I want kids in my home to feel like. I know how to take care of my home, keep it clean, tend to my husband's needs...but only because I watched my mom do it my entire life....

Why it hasn't hit me this hard before, I don't know.

I guess it took a Mother's Day of actually being a "mom" to get the full picture. 

Mom, you knew how to love us, 

how to teach us,

how to be the woman in our life.

I can't express my desire to want to be just like you in how you treat and love your family.

You worked so hard to take care of our home.

You did everything in the world for daddy and for us.

Thank you for loving us.

Thank you for loving daddy.

Thank you for teaching me everything I know. 

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being my mom.

You're amazing.

The best mom in the world.