So… You Miss Your Mom
Mothers are… indescribable. They are our biggest fans, our worst critics, our first advocates, our biggest embarrassments and our best hugs. They are the women in our lives who raised us. A mother is not just some woman who fed and bathed us, that would be too easy of a job. She is the person who cut the crust off of our sandwiches and whooped our behinds when she found a pregnancy test. She’s the person you never want to tell when you do something wrong, but she already knows anyway.
Author’s Experience Alert: I actually watched my 5’2 mother stand up and nearly fight some behemoth of a woman at my brother’s basketball game. It’s an experience I’ll never forget. It was the first time I ever felt so proud of her. Why? The woman behind my mother was making comments about boys on our team, and my mom nearly went to war. She told me after the fact, “Those boys are my kids. No one messes with my kids.”
You may be wondering why I decided to include this story. Well, when I am really mad at my mom, wondering how she can act so mean to me, this story makes me smile. It was the first time seeing her raise her hand didn’t make me run down the block. My mom, like many mothers, won’t tolerate disrespect. She will never take any lip from me. She also won’t let anyone else talk about us either.
So, here are the reasons you should call your mom.
1) She Wants To Talk To You
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve picked up the phone to call my parents, and I see a missed call from my mom. It’s like she already knows. There doesn’t have to be anything wrong with me. She just needs to make sure I am acclimating without her, which I never really can. You see, I grew up pretty privileged. I’ve had a home, hot meals, and an education I can be proud of. I would never want to give any of that back, but if I had the choice, I would take back how I treated my parents. This is NOT an apology column, it’s fact. Sometimes it’s best to be the one to apologize when you know it’s getting out of hand. If you’ve messed up, or if she has, try talking it out on the phone. She’s waiting to hear from you.
2) Her Advice Will Be The Best
I like to think that I have all this knowledge (it comes with the ego I’ve picked up over the years) but my mom is the first person I for ask advice. No gossip column, tell-all, or magazine is going to give advice as good as your mother. If something is going on, she will be one of the few people that knows you better than yourself. She will give the best advice she’s capable of because you are unique. No magazine or website can put up a single article that generically speaks for all women. If they do, they’re lying.
3) She Loves You
My mom is one of the last people to cry. She’s the craziest woman I know, but also one of the most passionate. Moms are going to make mistakes, even with her eighth kid. No one is perfect, but if she’s anything like my mom, she’s trying. Everything she does is because she has your best interests at heart and just wants you to succeed. She loves you, even when it doesn’t seem like it.
4) You Love Her
When’s the last time you told your mom, “I love you.”? Hopefully today! If not, now is as good a time as ever. Go tell her you love her. Remember all those nights she worked late so you could be fed like a queen, clothed in your latest trend and given your heart’s every desire? Who else do you know that’s going to do that for you while asking for basically nothing in return? She did it because you were born into her world and she certainly deserves a thank you for everything! A simple call to say you love her will make her day.
5) You Both Have Stuff To Share
Life can always cut you down. Moms have this way of reminding you of this, even if you don’t want to know. Sometimes she just needs to let it out, and you are her only confidant. Try listening. Hear her. If she complains about the same thing everyday, find a way to make that better for her. She will appreciate it, and your bond will be so much stronger. She is your mom, and you don’t want her to ever feel like anything less than Superwoman. In turn, she of course is always there and more than willing to listen to what is going on in your life as well.
Moms are… indescribable. They are the reason for everything. They gave birth to you, they help you try on your prom dress, they scare away potential (disastrous) boyfriends and they never (always) understand you. Just like you. Give your mom some credit, today. She only has a few holidays, so why not make a new one. Mother’s Day may be in May, but celebrate her once a month if you can. She’s not getting any younger, and you can only get wiser. Celebrate what you were given.