A Message from My Daughter

Wednesday night as I was leaving my daughter’s house, she says, “Mom, guess what I did yesterday.”

M: What did you do?

D: I wrote a blog!

M: Oh? And what are you gonna do with your blog?

D: I’m gonna send it to you for your blog.

M: Oh. Ok then.

Twenty minutes later, I’m sitting in my car outside of Dollar Tree crying, probably looking like a blubbering idiot to the guy who pulled in next to me. Why? See for yourself. Here it is, the first guest blog courtesy of my absolutely remarkable daughter.

You know that moment when someone claims they have the best mom, so you fake a smile and nod your head even though it can’t possibly be true? I find myself in that conversation pretty frequently. I mean, there’s only one other person on this entire planet who can make that claim and mean it, aside from me.

I have the best mom.

She’d argue with me right from the jump because she thinks she had a better one. This is not a knock on my grandma; she was definitely the best grandparent a girl could ask for. Do you know many grandmas who get home from work wearing high heels then immediately jump into a snowball fight or a game of wiffle ball with the grandkids? I only know of one! But I digress, as my aunt often does.

My incredibly hard-headed, stubborn mother would insist she’s not the greatest mom of all time. I know that’s not the truth, though. I mean, she learned from the best and somehow did it better!

My mom has been my best friend from the start. I grew up with the type of mom who had my back no matter what, even when I didn’t realize it. From the small things, like teaching me to make my bed in the morning, to the big things, like learning it’s okay to be my own person. There were times growing up when I thought I had a mean mom. Why wouldn’t she let me wear booty shorts and a bra to the mall when all of my friends were?! It’s like she wanted me to be a loser! Now that I’ve grown up, I realize those were the times when she had my back the most, even when I couldn’t see it.

I’m a mom now. I have the smartest, most perfect little girl I’ve ever laid eyes on. She amazes me every day. She’s more than a month shy of turning two, but she sings songs with most of the correct words. She can count to 15. (Editor’s note: she’s now counting to twenty!) She can tell you her name, age, and birthday. She will tell you all about animals, from alligators to chimpanzees to yaks. I could go on and on, but the point is, I can finally relate to the feeling of being a mother, and I’ve only just begun.

Before I had my girl, I thought being a mom was all sunshine and rainbows. I’ve prayed for the life I have now: a handsome husband, a cute house, and my beautiful baby girl. I imagined all of the tea parties, the bedtime cuddles, and the shopping trips.

You know what I never thought about? The long nights fearing and praying for her health and safety. The overwhelming stress while making her lunch because I don’t know if I am cut out for this. The secret tears in the shower because being a mom is downright exhausting.

I’ve always known I have a good mother, but this chapter of life has given me a whole new respect for my mom. I mean, if I’m struggling this much as a woman married to the most outstanding dad, I can’t even begin to imagine how she did it on her own with TWO children. She’s given a whole new meaning to “superhuman!”

I have the kind of mom who encourages me to try new things, helps me set boundaries, and provides me with some much-needed comfort… ALL THE TIME. (No, seriously. I text and call her a ridiculous amount, every day.) You know what else she does? She drops her plans to babysit anytime I ask, and sometimes when I don’t! She stops over after working all day and helps me with dishes. She will randomly make me breakfast or help pick up toys after the baby goes down for a nap. If it needs to be done, she’s already on it.

Are you noticing a pattern yet? I’m all grown up, yet my mom never stopped being a mom. The whole “once you’re eighteen, you’re on your own” mentality has never stepped foot in her mind. I’ve never had to ask her to continue taking care of me. She just does. Most of you know that I pride myself on being a clean, honest, independent person. And while I love being that to the world, I’ve never had to be that around my mom. No expectations, no judgment, just a whole lot of love offered my direction.

So, I know everyone is entitled to their own opinions, and I respect that, but I’m standing pretty firm in mine. I know how to be a good mom because I have the BEST mom.

Mom, I love you. And more importantly, THANK YOU!

Me again. So now you see why I was crying in my car. Being a mom is the most terrifying, exhausting, exciting, rewarding job I’ve ever had. Honestly, it’s all I ever wanted and more than I could ever have imagined. I’m blessed with the two most amazing souls that God trusted to my care, and I am grateful beyond words for that gift of love.

To my babies, grown up though they may be…no thanks necessary. I love you unconditionally, forever, and I am honored that you call me Mom. 🩵🩶