my mama always said

This week, my Dad brought me a number of old things he’s come across recently in organizing the house – photos, college transcripts and bank statements. In the folder of papers I found a print out of a blog post I wrote for Mother’s Day in 2007. This was on my old blog from when I lived in DC, back before I launched this one in the fall of that same year.

I completely forgot about writing it and reading it now after becoming a mom myself is even more poignant. While Mother’s Day is still a ways off, it seemed appropriate to share it here on International Women’s Day as there’s no stronger woman and inspiration in my life that connects to this day that I can think of than my mother.

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There are lots of choices we get to make in life. A career. What type of car we’re going to purchase. What we’re going to do with our vacation time. What people we’re going to let in our odd lives. There are also things we don’t ultimately control. It’s like there are multiple chutes that we can funnel our way through that are defined. And then there are some things that we are just dealt and for better or worse, we must live within that realm.

Parents – they are one of those things. We don’t get a choice in defining who those are… somewhere along the way, they made decisions. Chose each other and to bring you into the picture. It’s one of those life equations where you’re the end result. Standing there on the opposite side of the equal sign.

Today at church our pastor’s sermon focused on mothers. Their seemingly boundless “strength” from the perception of a young child’s eyes. The way they can do no wrong, know all the answers to the seemingly unanswerable, managing to instantaneously receive god-like powers from the moment of delivery on that hospital bed. He rationalized that the reason behind these powers was not that they were something supernatural, but the faith lying behind the eyes of the little one peering up at their mother. That was the true reason. And that, over time, the perception of these powers began to fade, leaving the child with the realization that their mother was in the end human, with faults, just like the person to her right and left.

I heard his words and the message behind the sermon was very powerful. But I still believe in the magic of mothers. At 27, I might look at my mom and realize she has faults. I’m sure she can do the same to me. But I also see all of the other things she’s managed to do that could never be outweighed by any of those things on the other side of the fence.

I see someone who learned every subject I learned going through school. Someone who always managed to have time to shuttle me around to all the different things I was into, from ice skating to piano lessons. Stayed up late at night recording the main points on biology on cassette tapes, so I could listen to them and better memorize… helped with countless science projects… helped to go to battle with teachers when my voice wouldn’t be heard. If there’s a stain that won’t come out on an item of clothing, chances are my mom knows what to do. People often asked me how I handled my mom teaching at my school. My answer was meet my mom and then you can understand why it clearly is not an issue.

I don’t know. I beg to differ. I don’t believe in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, or the Tooth Fairy — all those other things that we lose as we gain in years. But I still believe in the magic of mothers. I hope that some day when a pair of eyes are looking back up towards me, that I too am so blessed with the Midas touch. And even though perhaps that “touch” is all in its perception, it’s truly a type of magic that just can’t be paralleled.

“Mama says they was magic shoes. They could take me anywhere.” – Forrest Gump

I still believe. Oh yes, I still believe.

Being a mother I think has to be one of the hardest jobs anyone can sign on to undertake, and on this Mother’s Day – as every year and really every day, I’m really thankful for all my mom’s done for me. Thankful she chose to sign on for the task. Thankful that she’s my best friend. Truly thankful.