This is how awesome my mom is: when I requested that we have a belated Mother’s Day celebration, say, on a day that doesn’t fall right before a huge final paper is due, she was completely understanding. Not everyone has a mom who is that cool. But I suspect that my mom knows I will be much more pleasant to be around once I am no longer keeping a running mental list of what I still need to study for a stats exam.
So, sometime in the near future, I’ll be making a wonderful meal for the wonderful woman who brought me into the world. Maybe I’ll even tell you about it. The meal, that is, not my birth. I’ll let Mom tell you about that. Although I suppose the words “15 hours of labor and no drugs” also are indicative of how awesome my mom is.
But, she’s given me more than life. Such as….
1. An appreciation of little kids- the funny things they say, the amazing things they do. And she gets bonus points here because as much as my mom loves kids, she puts no pressure on me to give her grandchildren (as in ones without paws and fluffy tails).
2. Speaking of paws and tails, I also share my mom’s love of animals. Well, most animals. But we’ll get to that later. Beyond the typical kitties and puppies, Mom likes pigs a lot. There was one time at Busch Gardens where she mistakenly thought “Petting Zoo” meant “Grab-a-Potbelly-Piglet-and-Hug-It-for-15-Seconds-Before-It-Starts-Squealing Zoo”.
3. Creativity- particularly writing and painting.
4. A tendency to mix up sayings and words. One of my favorites of Mom’s is “That was the camel who broke his back.”
5. Big brown eyes.
6. An enjoyment of little things that look like the big things.
7. A love of being outdoors and working with my hands. I don’t always have a ton of motivation for gardening/yardwork, and living in an apartment, there’s not much need for it anyway. But when I’m tending to potted flowers and herbs, I definitely feel a connection to my mom, as well as to my maternal grandfather.
8. A lack of jumping ability.
9. An inability to resist bakeries.
10. Some sort of collective subconscious. Apparently from a very young age I would freak out my mom by saying out loud what she was just thinking. And it’s the only way to explain that we independently purchased the same hat on the same day for the family beach trip. (Emily insisted on getting the same one so she didn’t feel left out.)
And Some Things I Did Not Inherit From My Mom:
1. Gorgeous auburn hair.
2. A natural inclination to help strangers, particularly in healthcare emergencies. Yes, some of this might be the fact that my mom has a nursing degree and I do not. But there’s a reason I don’t have a nursing degree. Regardless, my mom’s ability to put herself in situations where someone needs help and stay calm while offering whatever they need, whether it be first aid or just holding someone’s hand until an ambulance arrives, is something I really admire.
3. An inexplicable connection with parrots. My mom loves to talk to them. And they seem to love her. But I’m pretty sure Mom is responsible for why I do not trust parrots. Once at a pet store when I was about three, Mom encouraged me to stick my finger out, insisting that the bird would use it as a perch. Apparently my finger made a better chew toy.
Beyond all the things she passed on to me, I am so thankful to have a mom who allowed me to have my own voice and offered an ear to hear it, who always has hugs to give but respected when I didn’t want one, and who, together with my dad, created a home and a family I am proud to be a part of.
Love you, Mamanance, and I promise your belated Mother’s Day will be well worth the wait!
This is not posed. This is the power of genes:
Anything But Academia 
I am very touched by your comments and the fact that you took time today to compose an entry devoted to me (and you!). I’ll need to sit with this for a while and hope that I can come up with an adequate thank you. I am so blessed to have you in my life.
MN