A birthday note for my mom

At bed time my children always ask for a story, not a make-believe story, oh no, they want a real story, but not about me, they have grown tired of my awesome stories about my heroics and adventures.  What do they want? They want stories about their Grandma growing up on the ranch. From the bull chasing her and pinning her little brother, to the pitch fork in her sister's foot, to playing in the creek. They are fantastic stories, that I use to beg to hear, heck, even now I love to hear them. 

However there was a downside to this. Because my mom grew up on a ranch that meant she knew how to work, and oh how she could work circles around us. If we were lazy and whining she would let us know that we were "soft city kids" that didn't know what real work was. Yes my mom knew how to work and taught me "Get your hands dirty, you can always wash them afterwards." Thank you mom for teaching me to work hard.  

Now my mom knew how to work, but she is also the kindest, most happy person you will meet. She saw the best in everything and always saw a positive side. She was always kind, especially in the grocery store. We actually dreaded going to the store with mom because she took forever. We would think "Just go in, get the groceries and get out mom!" But oh no, she knew the cashiers names and asked about their families. She always told young moms with rowdy children that they were doing a marvelous job and that children grow too fast. She helped grandmas reach high things on the shelves and made us carry their groceries to the car for them. My mom never thought of it as service, it's just what you do. 

She was our cheerleader. I remember coming home stressed and overwhelmed because I had studied and studied but was probably only going to earn a B in one of my science classes (oh how I hated science). My mom looked at me said, "What is wrong with a B? B's are mighty fine, you be proud of that B!" And I was, darn Chemistry. 

Many of the wonderful things my mom did were small things that I didn't notice until I had children. My mom didn't own many things of physical value, she sacrificed so many things because her children were her greatest treasure. If we needed a vase for a school project she would grab her nice vase and say "Here use this." Anything except her nice Tupperware, don't touch her good Tupperware. :) 

For my mom's birthday I drew this picture for her showcasing her & my dad's greatest treasures . .  move over children, the grandchildren (17 to be exact) have stolen their hearts. 

At the beginning of the school year my daughter, who is in first grade, came home with a pamphlet about building confidence in children. I skimmed over it but stopped when I read "How to encourage your child." It said to say something kind or encouraging before your child leaves for school so they start the day on a good note and to maybe leave a note in their lunch box so they read something uplifting in the middle of the day. I just grinned and thought "Did my mom write this?" That is exactly what she did. My mom would write little notes on our napkins with a little doodle and put them in our lunch boxes. Oh how I loved them. I can't remember any one in particular but they always made me smile or laugh. I had forgotten all about that. That next day I started drawing on my daughter's napkins, and slipping them in her lunch box. I look forward to it every morning. After a few weeks I finally remembered to ask my daughter if she ever read them, and she said with a big grin, "Yep! I like them. I read them to my friend Liz (name has been changed) and we laugh."

My friend shared a video about a dad drawing on his children's sandwich bags. Check it out here. It's fantastic!

Every mom is different, maybe she doesn't draw on your lunch napkins, but I am betting she puts your needs above her own because she loves you. I bet she thinks about you more than you know. So let your mom know you love her, maybe sneak a note in her lunch box. 

Happy Birthday Mom. I sure love you!