Mother's Day

Selfie at the airtport: Grandma's here!

I'm not one to post sentimental things on facebook.  It just doesn't seem right.  I don't see the point in telling all the world, especially the majority of my FB "friends", about how I feel about this or that or about my dog, or if I'm having health problems or if my grandpa passed on, or how much I love my mom.  I don't mind that other people do, of course, that's a private choice, but it's just not for me.  That said, I do not love my mother any less for not having posted a photo of the two of us on facebook and written a nice little dedication.

Perhaps it's hypocritical, but I feel that my blog is more personal than facebook even though in theory the whole world can access it and FB is only open to my "friends".  There are very few of you who read my blog and all of you are only my closest friends and family.  Somehow I feel it's preferable for a complete stranger to stumble upon my blog and read this than one of the people I might have felt guilted into accepting as a friend on FB.  Complicated.

Anyway, as I was saying: I love my mom.

Just three weeks ago my Mommy came to visit.  It was very brief, but she found a deal on Norwegian Airlines and couldn't pass it up.  So for 10 short days she was here cooking, cleaning, helping me with class prep. and most importantly playing with her grandaughter!

A most appropriate birthday picture: caught in the midst of a diaper change!

Unintentionally, her visit coincided with my birthday and it seemed only right that I celebrate my first birthday as a new mom with my own mother.  After all, exactly thirty two years ago on April 18th, she became a mother for the first time.  People tell you, that some day you'll really appreciate your mom... I like to think that I've always appreciated my mom, though perhaps I haven't alwasy expressed that appreciation; but it is true that becoming a mother myself has made me reflect upon my own upbringing and my own mother in a new light.

Siesta with grandma.

I am grateful that I have such a fantastic role model.  If I am a good mommy to my little Emily, it is only because I've been raised by such an amazing, energetic, fun-loving, caring, attentive, strong, capable, loving, adventurous woman myself.  My mom has done the most incredible and difficult job ever: raising me (and my sisters, of course) to be independant, confident, thoughtful, people.  Because of her (and let's not for get my dad--parenting is definitely a two person job as I am discovering!) I trust that I will be capable of doing the same for my daughter, although I do admit the task is a daunting one.

My mother has taught me to learn from my mistakes--"nothing ventured, nothing gained".  She has taught me that going out on a limb to achieve your dreams it the most important thing you can do in life, but more than the end goal, it's the learning process along the way that really counts.  She has always trusted me: trusted my judgement and my abilities, and she was somehow able to guide me to become my own teacher.  That is the most important job of parenting: protecting and assisting our children just enough for them to learn to be their own people, without smothering them into dependancy.  No small task.

When I look at my little girl, I hope that I will know how to help her love herself the way my mom has helped me.

Thank you, Mommy.  I couldn't ask for a better model of motherhood.  I love you.

Playing with grand-dogger and grandaughter!

It seems that becoming a grandma is just another perk of motherhood. :)