“Someone who had a positive impact on my life” on Mother’s Day, the answer’s pretty obvious I guess. That would be my Mom, and I count myself lucky to have one of these amazing moms that I have been able to look up to. I realize not everyone does. Some of us just hit the mom lotto and I undoubtedly did.
When I think about the characteristics that make her a great mom, I realize she’s actually pretty rare. While other wonderful moms might be described as fun, gregarious and outgoing, my mom is quite the opposite. That’s not to say she isn’t fun, don’t get me wrong, but she’s just a bit more complicated than that.
She’s solid and still, a gem. She’s never wavered. I always know where I’ll find her, what she might be doing and what her opinion will be on things. Why’s that important? Well she never leaves me unsure. She’ll never shock me or make me wonder. She’s the brick house that the three little pigs built. Dependable.
When I look back I can see that she always did things right and with her family at the centre, never making a selfish move in her life. I’m not even sure she’s ever done one thing wrong, or broken one law.
She gave up being a nurse once she had kids, to stay at home and be a mom to my sisters and I. Once we were old enough to be somewhat self sufficient, she got her nursing license back and went back to work. She worked exhausting twelve hour shifts, both days and night for years until she retired. She’s such a hard worker.
Besides working full time as a Registered Nurse, she made sure things ran smoothly at home too. While my dad made sure my sisters and I knew how to chase cows and drive tractors etc, she made sure we knew how to take care of domestic things like cook meals, do laundry and bake. We learned these skills at a very young age, especially by today’s standards. I seriously think my sisters and I could have moved out by the age of 12 and been perfectly able to take care of ourselves. And not just survive but thrive.
Mom is funny in a very specific way. I would describe her humour as dry and within the context of her quiet stillness, it comes across to me as one of funniest things ever. What I mean is, although she doesn’t come across as a “comedian”, she has her own style of humour that is unique and that she saves for a very private audience. Thankfully, I’m privy to her sense of haha and she makes me laugh. One example of her humour that I remember like it was yesterday, was when I was in high school. My sisters and I had watched the movie It, based on the Stephen King novel.
The next morning when I went into the bathroom to get ready for school, Mom was already gone to work but she had taken the time to write “It” with red lipstick across the bathroom mirror. It was so so funny, her subtle humour. We hadn’t talked about the movie and I wasn’t even sure she had been watching the movie with us but obviously she was paying attention and decided to leave that little prank.
I’m happy to say that my Mom and I share many characteristics. Of my sisters and I, I would argue that I am most like her. Except when it comes to her best quality, that satisfaction with stillness. While she knows how to be happy with what’s there and stays contentedly in the lines, as my bio reads, I’m happily unsatisfied and always searching for more. I wish I had more of my Mom in me, to fill in those gaps.
bloom.planted.north 
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