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Leading Ladies - Part 1

This is supposed to be my Mother's Day post. However, since I believe mothers should be celebrated more often, I am posting this now... on an ordinary day.

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I am confident and secure in who I am as a woman. I am not saying I'm perfect. In fact, I am far from it. I have quirks, faults and idiosyncrasies just like everyone else. I'm just at a point in my life where I am comfortable with them. I either embrace them or am trying to banish them. Perhaps it's easier to say that I'm just comfortable in my own skin. I have my mom and grandma to thank for it.
Momma Lynda
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Mom and Me in Venice, Italy - 2005

In many ways, my mom is not a typical suburban mom. My mom is career woman. While growing up in the 80s in the suburbs of Virginia, there were very few working moms. Even more impressive is that my mom is computer programmer, a job that for many years was held predominantly by men. I have always been proud of my working mom. Looking back on it, she made a lot of sacrifice in order to balance career and family. When my sister and I were in private school, my mom used to postpone her lunches in order to pick us up from school. She would rush to pick us up and then drop us off at the public library to wait for her to get off of work. As a bibliophile, I was in heaven. In the midst of that rush, I doubt she ate at all. As my siblings and I grew older, my mom took a job that gave her a 60 mile commute round trip. She'd be up at the crack of dawn and home around sundown. She did this for years. I braved a typical L.A. commute for 3 years and thought I was going to lose my mind. I don't know how she did it.

The qualities that made my mom a fantastic career woman made her an atypical mom. My mom is a no-nonsense individual who is not particularly affectionate. When I went to college and left home for the first time, she patted me on my shoulder and simply said "Make us proud". {Although, the addition of grandchildren has turned her into a softie. My nephews have her wrapped around their little fingers.} This is not to say my mom is unfeeling. She just expresses herself differently than other moms. My mom's love language is gifts. While not affectionate, my mother has spoiled my siblings and I. We received our own cars when we were old enough to drive. {Note: Used Cars}We went on spectacular family vacations. Things that we wanted that were within reason we received. She made us work for them, but we got them.

The best thing that my mother taught me was to value brains over beauty. My entire childhood was filled with activities to expand my mind. I had to recite my multiplication tables in the car, read a book a week during summer vacation, etc. etc. How I looked was secondary, but not unimportant. She still made sure we were dressed "appropriately". {Appropriately = pink and ultra-girly} To this day, I am not too keen on pink clothing. My mother's greatest disappointment that neither my sister nor I were girly girls.

I guess what I'm rambling on and on about is that I'm very thankful for my mom. Although we don't express ourselves like this, I love her and appreciate everything she's done.

3 more coherent thought(s):

Neleh said...

an awesome ode to your momma.

mchen said...

This is lovely. I think I can relate on a number of points you make, so it's really meaningful for me to read. Thanks for sharing. From what I can tell, your Mum did a great job :)

Mrs. Masters said...

Awwe, this was simply sweet!

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