She loved you before she even knew you.
And from the moment you met in person, it was all over for her.
She’s sacrificed her own possibilities for the chance that you could have, do and become more. She hurts when you hurt. She hopes when you can’t find hope. She dreams bigger dreams for you than you’ve ever dreamed for yourself.
And she’s convinced you’re worthy of it all…because you’re special… to her you always have been.
Her love is beautifully irrational. She looks beyond your faults and flaws and sees the very best version of you. She believes that’s who you are.
If belief alone could get you there, she’d hand-deliver you to your destiny. 
It’s all because of a woman we call MOM.
Today is my Mom’s birthday. It’s a special day.
Truly, a mother’s love and influence are among the most powerful things a person could ever find in this world. If you doubt it, compare notes with someone who no longer has their Mom – or someone who never had her to begin with.
For better or worse, no one shapes our lives more than our mothers because they do it from the inside out. We find their fingerprints on everything – from our grandest deeds to our most tucked away thoughts.
And she was always there for me – and for my brother and my sister (and for many others). Always. Ma, Mom, Mommy. She took this role very seriously and never wavered. No matter what.
So I will do my best today to say, “Thank you, Mom. I want you to know that I know there’s no way I’d be who I am – or where I am – without you.”
I have said it before and I will say it to my dying breath… any good quality that I show in my life is directly given to me by my mother. I have written about her before (click here to read) in my post called “Confessions of a Momma’s Boy”.
Hemingway once wrote: “The world breaks everyone, and afterward many are strong at the broken places.”
My mother was one of those people who healed stronger in the broken places. Despite great obstacles she bounced back repeatedly: an extremely difficult childhood, choices she shouldn’t have had to make at such an early life, scant financial resources, losing a child at thirty-nine, losing her dearest friend (Leta Chandler) and I could add many more examples of things my mom endured but came out stronger and better on the other side.
My mother is a petite woman, but there is nothing small about her legacy, or the impact she has had on others. It is a strong, beautiful, vibrant, legacy.
So as I sit here and think of the influence of my mother I want to share a few of her traits that I am most grateful for…
Generous, kind, loving, sweet, caring, honest, fastidious, brave, strong, energetic, resilient, thoughtful, hopeful, selfless. My mother possessed all of these qualities for sure. But if I had to put it to one word it would be…
Sacrifice.
In today’s society this word has much less meaning than it did in the past, but this single word describes my mother best.
A child and mother’s life is deeply connected. There is this love that a mother feels for her child. Mothers carry their young and take care of them until they become adults. Mothers make sure that their children are safe and happy. Mothers sacrifice their own happiness just for the wellness of their children.
My mother sacrificed her life for her children.
I am humbled when I think of all that she sacrificed for me. Being thankful seems trite but it truly is what I feel.
Thank you Mom for giving me the freedom and space to dream.
Thank you for creating order in our house despite the disorder that you tried to shield us from.
Thank you for pushing me to go to college even when everyone told me I wouldn’t make it. Though you never had t
he chance to go… you are still the smartest person I know.
Thank you for allowing me to disagree with you when we have our “discussions”. I guess that is just other ways I am like you… strong in principle and knowing what you believe and not being afraid to defend it… even if it’s not popular or easy.
Thank you for showing me how to be a real friend. Thank you for teaching me how to be compassionate and forgiving. Thank you for telling me you loved me every time we see each other and every time before we hang up the phone.
Thank you for being strong in the broken places.
Thank you Mom, you are my rock, my anchor, and my one true North.
I Love You and Happy Birthday Mom!!
Footprints of a Legacy Left Behind 