The sweetest gift...

I love my mom.

There, I said it. Whew! Feels good to get that off my chest.

Anyone who knows me knows I love my mom. I wrote this blog about my parents a couple of years ago, but honestly, I could do a whole series on just them. My mom has been my rock through so many rough times and has laughed and rejoiced with me in all of the good ones. She's been my confidante and my mentor and my friend. She was also my personal chef, chauffeur, and maid for 18 years of my life and still takes care of me now that I'm grown and gone. She knows me better than I know myself...the good, the bad, and the ugly (even my ugly cry)....and she loves me unconditionally anyway. She encourages me and pushes me to be a better woman every day. I am so very thankful that I was blessed with such a wonderful woman to nurture me and point me towards Christ while sharing life and having fun doing it.

Don't we look good with trophies??

Open Letter Series: Part Six - My Parents

Mom & Dad – 
Thank you.  For everything.  I can’t begin to list how much I appreciate all of the hard work and patience that you’ve shown me over the past 27 years.  Thanks for all of the lessons you’ve taught me, and for all of the lessons that you’ve been willing to learn right along with me, as well as the ones you knew I needed to learn on my own. 

Thank you for teaching me how to be a hard worker and be responsible.  I love that you made me get a job.  I love that I had to help out around the house and that I learned how to cook and even took care of meals when I was in high school.  I’m sure I complained, probably a lot…but now, I’m thankful that I know how to do that stuff. J On the other hand, I still love mom’s home cooked meals and dad’s French toast! 

Mom, thanks for bringing me into this world, even though I put you through the ringer in the process.  Dad, thanks for making it in time to meet me, even if it was a close call J  Thanks for putting up with me during my irritating times (I know there were a lot of those).  Thanks for keeping me in check when I thought I knew better than everyone.  Thanks for encouraging me to chase my dreams and, most of all, for letting me decide what those dreams were. Thank you for my braces.  One thing I loved about working as a teller was how many comments I got on how pretty my smile was.  I always made sure to tell people that it was thanks to you!

Laughing at where Marc got stuck!

Thank you for my sense of humor. I like to think that your kids got the perfect blend of the two of you when it comes to this.  We’re quick and sarcastic and we know how to give each other a hard time and turn just about any situation into a fun one.  I love that about you two and I love that you passed that on.  Thank you for making family time a priority.  Not until I got older did I realize just how rare this is.  I love that it’s hard to leave the holiday get togethers and the family dinners.  I love that we are all nerdy and love to play board games and spend time with each other.

Thank you for making me wait until I was 16 to date.  As much as I HATED this rule, and as many times as I tried to find a way around it, I really appreciate it now.  It taught me to take the relationships that I had seriously.  And while I’ve had my fair share of heartbreak, you taught me to appreciate the good things and to look for the important stuff and not to budge on my values. 

Thank you for the late night talks and advice.  I loved my time at home and I think this is the part that I appreciated most in the moment.  Whether you were being a shoulder to cry on, listening to me vent about my frustrations with school and boys, or helping me work out my journey to deepen my relationship with Christ, you both were always there when I needed you.  I can’t begin to put into words how much that means to me to this day, or how much this will mean to my kids someday.  You taught me how to listen to my kids and be there for whatever they need, when they need it.  You were always my voice of reason and so many of those nights still play in my head when I’m working something out.

This is my favorite picture of you two!

Thank you for being great examples of how far God can bring you in a short time.  Thank you for sharing your stories with me.  The honesty and openness that you showed me is the reason that I am the woman I am today.  Your bravery in sharing your stories about your heartbreaking journey through bad decisions, heartbreaking loss, and coming to know and walk with Christ have shaped my faith in redemption and healing. Your example has walked me through my toughest days and the faith that you helped me establish is the reason I can face each day with confidence, hope, and purpose. 

I always love coming home and I am so very thankful for that.  Even though my room looks different, it still feels like home to me.  I love that I have a place to take my kids and show them where mommy grew up and tell them all about my wonderful memories there.  Because of your example, my kids will get an honest version of childhood, teenage years, and moving on into independence and adulthood.  There will be stories of heartbreak, there will be learning experiences, but most of all, there will be happy memories to share; memories of love and faith that I couldn’t imagine being written any better.  

Thank you for being the best parents a girl could ask for.  Thank you for being the ones that God placed in my life for a reason and for following His lead in raising me.  Thank you for being the kind of parents I hope that Randal and I can be to our kids. 

I love you both more than I can ever say.
~Beth