The Moms Who Made Me

I have been so incredibly blessed to have many strong women who’ve served as “Moms” in my life. A blanket shout out just doesn’t seem like enough. So here they are, the women who made me, me:

1) My Mom:

This woman is and has always been my rock. At 18 she was more brave than I can even imagine. She finished highschool, graduated from college, and became a kick ass teacher all with a baby on her hip. She is my forever best friend and loudest cheerleader. She is beautiful even though she doesn’t always think so. She taught me that love is shown in our actions more than our words. Only foolish people leave her house hungry and once she’s decided to adopt you you’re hers for life. I couldn’t have survived this long without her. She keeps my head level and my ego in check haha! I’m so proud of her and everything that she does. She makes it hard not to brag about her.

2) My Meme:

This crazy lady is my favorite person in the whole world. My Husband knows that I’d push him in front of a train to save her. (She loves him and calls him “My Eye Candy.”) I get my dance moves, story telling skills, and love of ridiculous clothing from her (along with about a thousand other things). She’s one of the funniest people I know. We have matching tattoos. One of my girls is even named after her. She has taught me about love that withstands time, illness, and even death.

3) The Yaya’s:

These amazing, vibrant women have been my Mom’s best friends for most of her life and most definitely all of mine. All three have wiped my butt at some point and have no problem pointing that out. They couldn’t be more different from each other and yet it’s hard for me to think of one without the others. My Lala (formerly Aunt Doctor Laura), Chellechelle, and Nene were the women who stuck by my Mom when she was pregnant with me. They were just kids too but they stepped in and helped when we needed it. They have been here for us both through so much. From Dr’s appointments to dance recitals they’ve always been there. And while they all may not have children of their own, they’re all Moms to me. Now they are all The Twins’ Godmothers and I know that we made the perfect choice.

4) My Bonus Mom:

Though she didn’t come around until I was older my Bonus Mom has helped shape who I am. I admittedly was a bit of a cow to her when she first started dating my Dad. She took the slow approach with my brother and I. She stayed patient and never pushed. She learned how to love us despite our protests and stuck with it until we got over our crap. We’ve developed a friendship and love that I appreciate very deeply. I can only hope to have that kind of patience when it comes to my Bonus Kids’ crazy years.

5) My Bonus Grandmothers:

These ladies have accepted my crazy family with open arms and love my children so much. When they could have easily kept their distance from this new step-grandkid of theirs, they decided to choose love instead. It can’t be easy to suddenly have a practically grown granddaughter but they did it well. They took time to get to know me and have been here to support me as my family has grown.

6) My Friends’ Moms:

I hope that one day my kids can bring their friends home because they know I’ll take care of their friends no matter how weird they are. My best friends’ Moms all call me theirs just like my Mom calls their kids hers. Even after we all grew up and started families these women send me messages of love and encouragement. They got me out of my Mom’s hair and gave her a much needed break as a teenager and snuggled my babies as an adult.

I can’t thank all of these women enough. I only hope that I can be a Mom that’s as amazing as they are. They’ve all taught me about love and strength and laughter and their lessons have come together to create the tapestry that is my life. I feel honored to be a Mom that has the chance to follow in their examples. I’ve got big shoes to fill. It’s a good thing I have so many kids to try all of their techniques on!

Happy Mother’s Day everyone!