Mothers Day

I'm going to join the droves of other people and post about Mothers Day.  And you know what?  You can't do anything about it because this is my blog and you're not my real mom.  Also, as a side note, I keep switching between Mother's Day and Mothers Day because I like both.

People I want to thank this Mother's Day.

Misti O'Neal Carbone for being a real life Loreli Gilmore.

Erma O'Neal for being the sweetest grandmother in the world.

Alice Budd for letting me share a birthday (and a name), for giving me good advice, and for hours and hours of card playing.

Katie Facemire Snead for showing me a different way when I was in high school.

Robin Stokes for giving me a hug every time you saw me even when I didn't want anyone to speak to me.

Sister Thatcher for being an inspiration and a guide in my growing up years.  Ditto to Joyce Wilson.

Christina Stommel for asking me if my oil was changed, for driving me places when I needed a ride, for being a beautiful example, for seeking out adventure, and for being a mother figure when I missed mine so badly.

Margaret Wright for giving me the biggest hug in the world before you even knew me freshman year because I missed my own mom so badly.

Heather Wooten for taking care of me when Mom couldn't and devoting every single ounce of herself to her children.

Laurel Budd for telling me that everything is gonna be alright, be strong, believe.  And for crying with me when everything was the worst.

And finally to my own wonderful mother.  She is an inspiration and an amazing human.  I love my momma more than anyone else in the world at this point.  I'm not exaggerating or being silly when I tell you she is my best friend.  She wasn't when I was a kid (because I don't think that's how good parenting works) but now I'd rather talk to her than anyone else most days.  I tell her about boys and friends and we love to shop together (grocery shop or idea shop at Ikea for the most part).  For my birthday she surprised me in my classroom.  It was a beautiful thing and that week was awesome.  When I fought with my friends that week and sobbed for hours she cuddled me and bought me a birthday cake anyway, which we ate almost alone.  For the past several months she's listened to me cry almost every day when my life was SO hard (stop judging me right now, it's been a really bad several months).  She loves my students and lets them call her Momma Budd.  When I was in high school she wrote me a letter and told me how much she loved being a mother and the one greatest regrets of her life was that she wasn't able to stay home with us all the time.  I have no resentment toward her for that because she was/is an amazing mother despite sacrificing her own sleep and time to work overnight shifts picking rocks out of jeans. I could go on for pages about my mother and how wonderful she is, but I won't.  I'll just end by saying, I love you Mom.