I was thinking the other day about everything mothers do. I sometimes feel we unintentionally take our moms for granted.
Think about the fact that if she hadn’t gone through God knows how many excruciating hours of labor and hating life at the time, you wouldn’t be here today.
After just one 12-hour bout of screaming, barfing and threatening the lives of anyone taking video, I was done. One kid was all I was birthing in this life.
Some courageous women do it repeatedly, for cryin’ out loud. I’d rather bungee jump with frayed rope while holding an anvil.
Giving birth hurts.
Just think about where we’d be today if moms didn’t help guide us through the potty-training years, certainly not employed.
I’ve had turtles that were not as patient as my mother.
In all the times I used to hit my brother, mom never once pressed charges for battery. Had she done so, I would have had a pretty extensive record by the time I was 7, let alone my teenage years.
I remember growing
up how I never had to pay for gas. Mom drove me to and from everywhere and never asked for a dime; in fact, she sometimes gave me money.
As a baby, anytime I ever started a food fight with her because I was simply done eating, she cleaned me up patiently and never once threw food back at me. I can’t say that of my friends.
She was and in some cases still is my babysitter, doctor, financial planner and cook. She’s also been a coach, psychologist and driver – as well as many other titles – and all without monetary compensation.
Because of mom, I know how to wash dishes, which is a very handy skill to possess, as we don’t own a dish-
washer.
Mom patiently taught me how to drive, which my insurance company seems to disagree with, but tomatoes-tomahtoes.
Because of my mother, I can tie my own shoes, eat like a human and love
others.
My mom lives far away, and I miss her.
My husband bought me a life-size cardboard cutout of my mother’s likeness. When I start missing her, he takes “her” out of the closet and sets her in the center of the room so I don’t feel so far away from her.
He says he doesn’t mind having his mother-in-law around. She’s quiet and doesn’t criticize him.
Hope all moms had a wonderful Mother’s Day.
Anngee Quinones-Belian lives in Murphy. She loves humor and believes the world needs more of it. Email her at anngeeq@gmail.com.