I heart mom

Where do I begin with what my mom means to me?  I've been pondering my tribute to her all week.  I thought I'd start at the beginning (don't worry, I won't be writing a book).  My mom raised a very strong willed child - Me!  I challenged her at every corner and on top of it, I had learning disabilities.  When I reflect on my childhood I just remember it was good and my mom was always there which was something I took for granted.  Growing up she was my biggest advocate.  She taught me right from wrong and I learned what consequences were all about.  She would always say I had to learn things the hard way and I did - still do sometimes.  She prayed for me and I'm sure she spent many mornings on her knees praying for guidance - as I do now that I'm a mom.  When her and my dad divorced when I was a senior in high school she picked herself up, dusted herself off and with strength and determination she pushed forward.  I was always grateful to her for that.  My sister and I were hurting and so was my mom and feeling the void of my dad being gone was hard but mom kept our lives the same - as much as she could.  She was home constantly to be available for Kim and I.  I remember the first summer dad was gone or at least I think it was that first summer.  My mom loaded my sister and I in the car and in another car was my Uncle Mike with his family and we were off to Myrtle Beach.  Back then we had no cell phones so my mom and her brother would use walkie-talkie's and Mom followed Mike the entire way.  As an adult I have appreciated her listening ear when it comes to parenting.  I've said this before but I can't write a tribute to my mom without saying it again but she is never horrified by anything my children do - even when I'm horrified beyond belief.  She usually just laughs and reminds me of the time when I did the same thing as a kid - although the whole mud thing has her dumbfounded sometimes.  I remember the short 2 weeks I lived with mom while Mike was finishing our house.  That was 7 years ago and I just had Jay who was 3 at the time.  She looked at me one night and said, "You know, Amy, you are really good with him."  Ahhhh music to my ears.  If I'm any kind of mother, I owe it all to my mom.  Thanks mom for all the sacrifices you made for me, all the prayers, laughter and encouragement!  Love you lots...........