Mother's Day is on the way!

God and my mother have been the source of motivation, inspiration and encouragement for my entire life.  My mother raised my two siblings and I on her own.  She is my SHEro in every aspect of the word.  Her strength and faith have been nothing short of amazing.  Growing up,  I was never aware that we struggled because my mother never griped about it.  Each of her three children were extremely active.  My sister cheered, my brother played every sport, and I was in the marching band and every school club, church and community activity known to man.  My mother made it her duty to be at every single event that all three of us ever did, and she did it all as a single parent for most of my life.
The exposure and experiences that my mother made sure I enjoyed have been invaluable and very influential on my career choices and educational pursuits.  Now that I am an adult, married, and juggling the responsibilities of work and home,  I am wondering how she really did it. When I was in the 2nd grade, my class held an event called "Donuts for Dads" in celebration of Fathers Day. My father has never been in my life and I was so scared, hurt and nervous about this event because I didn't want to be the only little girl without someone there. My mother and I had already talked about the event coming up.  I did not say anything because as a young " old soul" child, I was VERY understanding of our circumstances.  Before I even had to experience of any of those feelings, in walks my mom to sit with me for Donuts for Dads. I am 27 years old and will NEVER forget that day. I have always felt and always will feel like she's superwoman. There's nothing she cannot do.  There have been some things that she's experienced because of her unselfishness that I don't even know how she endured it. She managed to raise three amazing children, get educated to the highest level(her doctorate), be at all of my football games through high school & college bands, be everything to everyone and then she even walked me down the aisle to my husband. She has always stood in the shadows.  I cannot wait until I can give her everything she wants and needs because God knows she deserves it. She is the wind beneath my wings.
Because my mother was a single parent, I always went to work with her on days off from school.  I watched her juggle a full time job as a guidance counselor and a part time job at a local pager store (which shows how long ago this was).  Her job as guidance counselor seemed like she was superwoman even at work.  Glued to her hip, I witnessed first hand how she practically “ran her school”.  She was everything to everybody and they knew it.  Her organization skills, professionalism, intelligence, and other skills perpetually changed the lives of every child that walked in her office.  The kids seemed to come in one right after the other, sometimes in large groups.   I saw how those kids depended on her just like I did. Her grace under fire was beyond amazing.  Those precious moments made me develop the passion I have for education.  I decided through interactions with the classroom teachers I had met through my mom and my own strengths and weaknesses that the classroom would be a better fit for me than the guidance office.  So my pursuit began and is definitely still a work in progress.  My mother inspired me to become a teacher not only by how she loved me as a daughter,  but by how she lived her own life: a strong woman who demanded excellence from herself and others,  treated others respectfully,  and nurtured confidence and growth in all of her children, both at school and at home.
So, as we take this "official" time to celebrate mother's all over the world...I want to celebrate you mommy.  You are the best everything to me.  I just don't know how you did it.  Everyday that I work with the children at school, I whisper to myself Thank you Jesus.  I am thanking him because so many of the hardships these children experience, I didn't.  All because of you mommy.  I open my mouth sometimes and hear you come out lol.  I pray that I keep making you proud, because you certainly make Jetta, Harry and I SO PROUD every single day.  I hope you enjoy Mommy's Day today and everyday.