Queen of the Realm: Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the women of my wonderful family!

As I grow older and have the perspective of age I so much more appreciate my very own mother. As I progress through the stages of my life I will never catch up with her, she is always those few stages ahead of me and as such will always be a little wiser, a little smarter and a little more experienced. It is only as I pass through a stage that I realize the gifts she has sprinkled in my wake.

I remember when I was 9 sitting with my mom on her bed and talking about what was going on in our life at the time, we talked about family, friends, other parents and silly things. I remember always talking with my mom and brother and cousins in these family conversations throughout my life. These talks have always continued. When I visit home we still sit at the table and talk about family, friends, other parents and all the things going on in our life. Just conversation. Today I talk with my kids in the same way. Just family conversations.

As a teenager I was chomping at the bit to move away from home. And as all teenagers, I knew best. I was smarter than my parents and knew more than them and just wanted to get away. Which I did. I moved to Los Angeles from Hawaii, fell in love and got married. Had a baby and moved to Fallon. During these formative years of my life I never heard a bad thought or judgement come from my mother (or my father for that matter.) It wasn't until I was in my mid-30's did I realize that the greatest gift my mother gave me was this very quiet support. She never had a bad thing to say about my decisions or actions. She may have thought it but never voiced it to me. This left me free to grow and experience my life believing that I had her 100% support! She was always there to answer questions and help me out and do what needed to be done but never a negative word passed her lips!

This continued as my family grew, as I created and sold businesses, moved to Hawaii and back and finally moved to Oregon. I have tried so hard to follow her lead with my own kids. Only time will tell if I made it. I try to support their decisions and let them experience and do life they way they need to. I don't know if this trait was intrinsic to my Mom or not but for me it is really hard not to tell my kids what to do! I have to work very hard at it. Not that I don't trust they will make the right decisions for them but I just want to save them all the problems and hassles that my experience would save them. But I just support them as best I can without judgement.

So, this Mother's Day I want to tell my mother that I love her and appreciate her presence in my life and she has been one of the people that has influenced my life more than I thought she ever did. It is only from this perspective of age that I can see that and am so grateful that she is still in my life so I can say this to her.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom! I love and appreciate you! I could not find a recent picture of you and me so I offer this, the next best thing: Offspring #1.

My mom and sister. Of course this is her mom too, duh. But Happy Mother's Day to my sister who may not have kids of her own but is a Mother just the same. For every child she has helped, nurtured, listened to, bought a present for, cared about and loved. These all the things Mother's do and you are a Mother in every sense of the word.

Happy Mother's Day to my beautiful daughter (with her son.)

Happy Mother's Day to me!

Happy Mother's Day to my beautiful daughter-in-law. I am so lucky you are in my life and with a new grandson on the way for me!

Happy Mother's Day to my lovely cousin and her #1 Grandbaby. Without Grandma's there can be no mamas! I like to call this photo "Dueling Grandbabies." See you next week in Hawaii!

Happy Mother's Day to my sister for all the times you were my sister! That means all the time!

Happy Mother's Day to my gracious cousin, here with her handsome son.

Happy Mother's Day to my family in Los Angeles. Beautiful, gracious women, each and every one. And mothers? Yes, to a brood of 6 total between them.

Happy 1st Mother's Day to my cousin with the cutest little boy in San Diego!

Happy Mother's Day to Koa's Mom. I have to say that Koa is the funniest, handsomest, happiest baby I know but he is not excited about taking pictures! I couldn't find one with him smiling! Oh, well, you can still tell he is amazing!