Coming full circle

After a wonderful Mother's Day weekend with my family, I couldn't help but contemplate my mom and how she raised us. There were many times growing up that I didn't understand the things my mom said and did, but now that I'm a mom the appreciation I have for those things has grown immensely.

The things that I once thought she did because she didn't understand me couldn't be further from the truth. Armed with all this motherly knowledge and perspective on life, I couldn't help but get a little emotional.

The highs and lows of parenting are never easy and everyone goes through it. Even our parents that seemed so out of touch with reality go through it. And for the record, I've realized the only person that was out of touch with reality was me. I was the typical teen that thought they knew it all. I've always had a smart mouth and I know there were times that my mouth and the words that came out of it were downright hateful to my mom. Looking back, my mom did what she did out of love and wanting what was best for me. This is exactly what I do for my boys.

I know there will be times that they will think the same thing about me, and I can only hope that they have the same revelation as I did one day. There have been many times that I've called my mom worried, angry, stressed, or happy about something one of the boys did and needed her advice on it. Sometimes I can hear her smiling through the phone as she explains to me that this is just phase and will pass soon. Never has she thrown my upbringing in my face, and I must admit I admire her for that. I can only hope I act the same way when the boys call me after they've started their own families.

I've made it a point to let my mom know how appreciative I am to her and how sorry I am for all the stress and angst I put her through. And in true mom fashion, she's assured me it was all worth it. I love this new relationship we have and I wouldn't trade it for the world. It's a little startling when you realize you've come full circle with any parent. When a once fuzzy memory becomes crystal clear and you see things from a different view. I  hope everyone gets to experience this with their parents.

I guess the point of this post is to say we should appreciate our moms (and dad's) every day of the year, not just one. It's crazy how much of my mom comes out in me in my daily interactions with the boys. I love it because I feel like, in that, other generations in my family are coming out too. I never met my grandmother (on my mom's side) but I'm sure some of her is coming out in me as it did in my mom. It helps me appreciate how far I've come in life and know how far I have to go. And through this journey, I'm glad I have my mom by my side. After all, she's the only one that loved me at first sight with an unconditional love that only mom's know. For this, I'm eternally grateful.