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To my mom on her 60th birthday

Today is my mom’s 60th birthday! What a special day!

My mom gave me a childhood full of hugs, kisses and bedtime stories. She always gave us her full attention and poured her whole self into all aspects of raising three children. She did the hard, tedious work of disciplining me when it was needed and then poured out affection at all other times. For eighteen years before SmallDoor Design ever existed, as a mother, she built and created a home for us before she started her own company helping other families build and create their own homes. She is amazing at creating warm, beautiful spaces where people just want to gather. If there was a prize one could win for being the best mother, my mom would have won the prize every single year. She cooked award winning dinners for three (at the time) un-thankful children and protected us from the scary and dangerous world.  She picked me up from school when I was afraid of thunderstorms and demanded to be home with my mom.

As I got older, my mom sat and cried with me when my teenage heart was broken and patiently listened to all stages of music throughout my young, angsty life. Whenever friends come over she always puts out beautiful cheese boards and lights candles in every room. She was honest with us, always spoke openly about what she was going through, how it made her feel and encouraged us to do the same. She has given me the most beautiful example I could have ever hoped for of what it is to be a mother.

I learned from my mom how to bounce back when the floor of your life falls out from under you. I watched my mom go through a surprise divorce that left her with a life she never expected to live. I watched her mourn the loss and then bounce back to live the second part of her life to the fullest. She taught us by example how to be resilient and how to make the best of the cards that you are dealt. I love her inner strength and perseverance. She works hard and laughs at herself often. In the midst of the fallout, I watched my mom find Christ and gracefully mold her life to his word. She has used her hurt to reach out to other women who might be dealing with similar situations and spends a good deal of her time going on walks with lonely, heartbroken women telling them about the power of Jesus and His never failing love. She is good, good friend. I am so thankful that she is a woman who did not get more bitter and ornery with age, but has become more filled with joy and light with every passing year.

I love my mom’s sense of humor and love that she gets such a kick out of life. She laughs easily and frequently. Whenever I talk to my mom, she is always quick to tell me about the BEST restaurant she just went to, or how she LOVED the sermon at church, and how she CAN NOT WAIT to show me one of her work projects. I love her light, joyful spirit and how she is quick to see the best in those around her. I love how she is always running off to yoga and often has a much more happening social calendar than I do. She loves the city, seeing beautiful new places and hosting dinners.  She put a sign on her door that read, “gone to therapy” when she was going through a painful divorce and taught us how to laugh at ourselves in the midst of dark moments. She LOVES all of our friends and LOVES my husband with such a sweet embracing spirit. As a child who was prone to focusing on the negative, she taught me how to see the beauty in every situation, which has been one of the best lessons I could have ever hoped to learn. She taught me that you have to look for joy and to relentlessly remind yourself about it. She taught me that creating happy homes is a result of those moments of mental work where you chose to focus on the good in your life and how loving your own life is one of the best ways to love the people around you.

She is the most special mother in the world and today is such a special day! Happy Birthday Mom!

 

 

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3 Comments

  1. January 5, 2017 / 10:20 am

    Your mom is a wonderful, beautiful person. I am a business associate of hers and she is a joy to be around.
    God Bless her on her Birthday.

  2. Donna
    January 5, 2017 / 11:34 am

    This is so beautiful….your Mom is blessed to have you for a daughter!! xo

  3. Susan Ruge
    January 5, 2017 / 9:56 pm

    Marebear, thank you from the bottom of my heart!!!!!

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