A Shout Out to the "Other Mothers" in My Life

gathering up bits of the world & setting them out in an order that her children can understand - Brian Andreas

My mom always said that it took a village to raise me, and she's right! She also taught me growing up that no parent is perfect. No parenting plan is flawless, so God puts other people in your life to "help fill in" where your parents fall short and gives you other people to add to your perspective and experiences. (A great comfort for most parents I'd imagine.) I believe that. I think my life is a testament to that very idea. I have an amazing mother and I love her so much. She taught me so many things (and still does), but that is for another post. Over the years, mom invited, allowed and encouraged all sorts of exceptional women to make a mark on my life. With Mother's Day coming up, I felt the urge to write something about so many of the amazing women in my life....some who have passed through quickly and others who have been like mothers to me for years and years.

There have been women in my life who made an impact and probably never even knew it. Like pretty Ms. Hamner. I watched her Sunday morning after Sunday morning come to church in the most beautiful high heels....I grew up in Texas in the 80's so the heels had to be as tall as the hair! She wore snake skin and pokadots....all colors...all shapes. They were all so pretty. They were all so tall. Over 25 years later, I still remember her in those shoes. I think my love of high heels started there. I remember Ms. Kubichek's heels too. My little 5th and 6th grade mind thought she was the prettiest teacher I'd ever seen. I adored her. A compliment from her would send me sailing for days. I still like to do those logic problems in the puzzle books, I think, because of her. And there was Mrs. Cain, my third grade teacher, who gathered us around and read to us on the floor great books like "Where The Red Fern Grows". She made science interesting. She made you like school…her class anyway…whether you wanted to or not. You couldn’t help but love her. There was Ms. Tate, who I absolutely adored in youth group. In my teenage mind, she had the perfect house, the perfect family, the perfect marriage to the perfect man. I have to laugh now just thinking about how much I idealized everything about her. These were a few women that I didn’t really know and they didn’t really know me, but still they made an impression on me that I carry with me all these years later. I can only imagine the impressions they have made on those they live with day in and day out…..those fortunate people.

When I think about extraordinary women that I know I was absolutely blessed to meet, the top of the list has to be Joyce Hart. She taught me, trained me, prayed with me, and loved me. I know what she has done for so many women that have had the privilege of coming in and out of her life, and she is a blessing to them all.

Marsha and Sharon, of course, have been there through all the ups and downs….the good and bad...the fun and the painful. They have been like “my other mothers” and have been in my life as long as I can remember. There aren’t really words…..I don’t think they will ever really know how much I appreciate them and their support and kindness. If I tried to put into words, I’d ramble on for pages and pages and never scratch the surface. They are in so many of my "fun" memories...they were at every performance, recital or graduation. From preschool olympic day to pee-wee cheerleading to choir, piano and band recitals to graduations and showers, they have been there.

And I have been fortunate to have a family just full of fantastic, strong, fun women. Aunts, grandmothers and cousins who have been good examples, friends and teachers. If you have been following the blog, I’ve written about some of them before: Grandmommy, Nanny, Mary. As I am writing this at work, I have to "recap". I can't write new entries on these people so close to my heart....I'll be in a pool of tears. There are so many more things to write about.....maybe another time I'll continue my love letters. ...so many sweet and funny stories to tell....

I have new family to learn from, like Nancy, the best mother-in-law I could imagine. And I get the pleasure of watching my sister-in-law and cousins raising up their little ones. So exciting to see what direction each one will take. New mommies learning the ropes that our mothers learned so many years ago.

What a gift to be a mother.....what joys....Happy Mother's Day to you all! I hope you have a day that you feel loved and appreciated. A day that you can sit back and reflect on where you are in the "progress of parenting" and be grateful for that stage. And to those great women in my life, past and present, thank you. Your imprints, big and small, have made a difference in my life. And I am ever so grateful for your influence.