My mom is a rockstar. No, really. This year has been impossibly hard on us. Literally the first day of the year my father died, and the days, weeks, months after were horrible. But through it all my mom continued to watch R. She slipped a disk in her back but she kept on. She sometimes makes me dinner to pick up on my way home and she always picks us up a few things from the grocery store. See those crutches in the picture above? Neil had a broken leg when R was born. (He literally broke his leg in two places while I was 8.5 months pregnant moshing at a show. It is still a rough subject with us!) Guess who drove us to the hospital? guess who held my leg up? Guess who spent the entire first summer R was born with me? Am I spoiled? Totally. But what I most want to be when I grow up, is my mom, doing the same for R. So in honor of her, here are a few life lessons that I've picked up along the way.
01. Prep early. Days before Hanukkah or Thanksgiving dinner my mom has the dishes set out on the table with post it notes in them saying what dish goes inside. This makes hosting easier because she isn't running around getting things together as people arrive.
02. Keep your friends close. My mom has been hanging with the same group of girls forever. These women are as close to me as family. They have been at every party, pool day, and backyard bbq. They meet as a sorority once a month come hell or high water and do both social and volunteer work. They helped with my Bat Mitzvah, wedding shower, baby shower, my dad's funeral arrangements, and worked at the yard sale for our Pancreatic Cancer Society team. Check out these two pictures.
03. Family is everything. My mom is without a doubt the planner of our family. My dad used to call her the ayatollah of tailgating, which my family does together. While she isn't totally that extreme, she is a planner. She plans our yearly family get together. By this I mean, she tells us when to go, where to go, and what to do. She even books our hotel room if we are moving to show. But she does it out of love for our family. She wants us to be together, and so we are. It's so nice to have one another around and I value them so much.
04. Don't be a snob. Okay y'all. Here is a secret. My mom loves cheap wine. While she is one classy lady, she can also get down with fast food and cheap wine. Boxed wine? Sure. Don't stick your nose up and don't forget where you came from.
05. Say yes. Invite everyone. Don't turn things down. I can talk my mom into doing almost anything. "Mom, let's stay up until midnight and go stand in line in the freezing cold on black Friday." "Mom, can these ten people stay the night and we all camp out in our backyard?" "Mom, can my friend's band practice in the garage?" She pretty much always said yes, welcomed everyone, and did it with a smile. It's okay to be a little crazy and experience life a little.
I am so thankful to my mom for all she is and all that she does. She is the best Bubbie to R and our doggies, and the best mama to me. Thanks for everything mom!
In case you needed any more proof that she is a rockstar:
