Mother's Day

Medical school is a journey that Zach was very sensitive about during our dating relationship. The boy wouldn't come close to asking me to marry him until he knew what I was getting myself into. He wanted me to read all of these blogs that tell the harsh truth about loneliness and often times depression, we had numerous conversations about what having children would be like during residency, and how some women don't even feel like they're married some of the time...
I'm saying all of this to lay the foundation of how tough medical school can be on marriages and also individuals. But truly, our journey has been nothing of the sort. And if I could baptist style cut this down to two different factors that are most likely insanely simplified, I would say it would have to be Mom and Zach. (I know I know, unlike true baptist form, I have no acronym to help you remember and my points don't even begin with the same letter... but come on folks, I'm only half baptist!)

Mom:

 Mom is crazy independent. If she wants to go somewhere or do something, she needs no company, she just goes. Garage saling by herself, no problem... she prefers less competition for the deals anyway. She wants to go see Fiona's soccer game but no one else in the house has a free schedule to trek into Atlanta with her? Oh well, you snooze you lose folks, and Mimi has no time for snoozers.

Mom is wildly spontaneous. Earlier this year she planned a trip with her and her sisters and wouldn't tell them what they were doing. It included a raw barre workout class, tubing, a trip to the theaters, and zip lining.

Moms never met a stranger. This can most beautifully be summed up in this story: we were headed to Wyoming for a skiing trip when our crew of 7 hopped on a shuttle bus at the airport only to pick up another family of 6. Luggage included, it was pretty packed. Mom graciously offered to hold the other family's infant so that they could get their bags on in a speedy manner and minimize stress. Well, no sooner than it took for the baby to be placed in her arms, mom was kissing all over it... and to the point where we were all wondering if the baby was gonna leave with a hickey. I mean if it was uncomfortable for me, I can only assume what the other family felt. But it's who she is... she meets people and then loves them.
Another time we went to a family style restaurant and we sat at a large table with another family and once lunch was over, mom had informed us that we were headed to their house on the Chattahoochee for a swim in the river. Now if you know anything about Papa Elf, you can bet your bottom dollar that it wasn't his extravert nature that landed us that gig in the sun!

If "hostess with the mostest" means that you have an open door policy and there is always food either on the stove or in the fridge, then that's mom. Having people over wasn't ever a huge deal: it was casual, there were no banners, no table cloths, no fine china... just the appreciation of fellowship shared of yummy food. I guess once you hit a certain number in the household, what's another mouth to feed, right?

Mom knows that life is a joke.She told me various times growing up that I "needed to be like a duck and let it roll off my back." And it's stuck (ironically). Most things aren't worth the time that worrying tries to occupy... plus, if you open your eyes a little wider and focus on all of the marvelous or hilarious things out there and you'll train your mind not to dwell on the little hiccups. Like the time mom's hand was the size of my pregnant swollen foot (which if you haven't seen, it is not unlike a baby elephants foot) and then texted me a picture of it. When I asked what happened, she, oh so medically, said "I smushed it" and started to laugh.

Mom can pack in a schedule like it's her job. I can't be sure if I have ever met anyone who can get more out of the 24 hours given to us each day besides her. If that lady has 13 minutes to spare and there is a sale at Kohl's, I can tell you 10/10 times where she'll be during that 13 minutes. Commute included. She even strategically plans folding laundry until Idol is on, so that not one minute is wasted.

She is insanely selfless with her time; her servants heart can't comprehend any good that would come from neglecting someone's need so that she may have some time to herself. In the story mentioned earlier about her smushed hand, I asked if she was gonna go to the doctors to get it looked at and she said, well I've already been twice but I kept having to walk about because they were taking too long and I needed to pick up Fiona and Remy.

When Zach and I were taking premarital counseling, we had to pick 3 things we loved about each others family that we would like to incorporate into our own family. When it was Zach's turn, he said, "you guys will do anything for each other. Jump through any hoop, set aside any plans, rearrange any schedule, whatever needs to be done to help out a sibling in need." And he's right, and it's because mom taught us no other way.

Zach:
He understands how much I am like mom and encourages me spread those Becca Jeanne wings and fly.

So for this mother's day, I would like to say a big "cheers" to the woman who, since day one, prepared me for this season I'm in. You are the reason I don't waste time, I don't allow myself to get bored, I love having a full house, I reach out to the community around me, I smother each day in laughter, I fly by the seat of my pants, and I am completely ignorant to this whole pregnancy thing in the fact that I am coaching, tutoring, leading a married folks club, volunteering in church nursery, working full time, and attending a weekly bible study all while 8 months pregnant. Why can't I do it? I'm Becca's offspring!

And you, mom, are the reason why I am not worried about the whole having a baby aspect of pregnancy either. It's a comfort knowing how much alike we are because this confidence of motherhood, whether it be accurate or not, has been placed in me. I've been watching you do it so well for 25 years, it's like I've been living inside a book entitled "The Expert Mom."