Mother’s Day

Happy Mother’s Day to all you Moms out there! Today is a beautiful day in our area. It’s around 70 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. I love this weather! But today, the beautiful part is all the Mommas out there.

For those of you that have been following the blog for a little while, you know that my Mom passed away when I was 19 years old. I miss her like crazy and wish that I could hug her today and tell her “Happy Mother’s Day.” But, she isn’t here, and I can’t hug her or tell her anything. But I also know that I will get to see her again someday, and I will be able to hug her all I want and talk to her all the time. I treasure that thought and am so excited for that day!

But today is Mother’s Day whether my Mom is alive or not. And here’s the thing. God has blessed me beyond what I could possibly imagine. Almost five years ago now, God saw fit to bless our family with an amazing step-mom. She has been such a help to my Dad and our entire family. She is never put off by all the shenanigans that our family gets into and is, a lot of times, more than ready to be in on them with us! She is a sweetheart of a woman and is so loving to all of us and our children. She is the first one to offer to help if something is needed, and is usually one of the last to leave. That leaving part could be because my Dad is ALWAYS the last to leave, but whatever! But, I think the thing I love the most about her is that she has never tried to be our “Mom.” She told us right from the beginning that she wasn’t trying to take our Mom’s place and, frankly, didn’t want to take her place. She has always been supportive of each of us kids and has cultivated a relationship with each of us. She has always been herself with us, and for that, I’m truly thankful. She isn’t my Mom now, and never will be, but she is my step-Mom, and for that I am so overwhelmingly blessed.  I love her like a Mom, but differently than I loved my Mom. If that makes any sense. I am so thankful my Dad chose her for his second wife. He did a great job with his pick!

Shortly after my mom passed away, I met the man who would soon be my husband. And with marrying him, I also got the most incredible mother-in-law. I had always heard horror stories of people and their in-laws, and it kind of freaked me out before I met my mother-in-law.  Phil never met my Mom, so he didn’t have to worry about that! He did have to worry about my Dad and brothers, but that’s another story for another time. Back to my mother-in-law. She’s awesome! What more can I say? I could not have picked a better one even if I could have chosen from anyone in the world. She is very understanding, caring, loving, helpful, and thoughtful. She is the first to offer to take the kids for a night or two so Phil and I can have the night off. She is always willing to teach me or the kids some life skill that she has acquired through life. The kids absolutely love learning from Grandma, and I love to let them learn from Grandma. She is an amazing role model.

So, even though I don’t have my real Mom here today to celebrate Mother’s Day, I do have a couple extra special women to celebrate. I am so thankful and blessed that God brought these two into my life. I don’t know where I would be without these two. They have both been amazing at stepping in and filling the need I had and still have. You are never too old to need your Mom.

For those of you who still have your Mom, please hug her extra tight today and never take any of your time together for granted. I had just turned 18 when my Mom got sick. I thought I had all the time in the world with her. Boy was I sadly mistaken. Life is short. So very short. Please take advantage of the time while you have it. You will never get that time back. Life is fleeting. Please use it wisely. Now go enjoy your dinner with your Momma and leave me a comment with your favorite memory of your Mom. These are always so much fun to read! Thank you everyone and have a great Mother’s Day!