This photo is of DH and me with my parents the night of our engagement party.
My mom is an amazing mom and as I have gotten older, she has become a dear friend. Originally, from PA, she has lived all over the country (from Richmond, VA, to LA to Massachusetts to the Eastern Shore of Maryland). She is a hard worker dedicated to the students that she taught and to the teachers she supervised and mentored during her time working as a teacher, supervisor, and director. Most recently, she has taken over my dad's position as Delegate and I have watched her demonstrate the same dedication to this job...honestly, I wonder where all of her strength comes from. She is a wonderful role model!! She has the patience of Job and then some (trust me I definitely tested that patience a time or two). She is a bit of a worrier but it comes from her heart! She does everything she can to ensure that those she loves are well taken care of even if that means sacrificing her own needs!
I never realized how hard my mom worked until I became a working mom myself. She did two jobs amazingly well...her day job (teacher, supervisor, etc) and her 24/7 job (being a mom, cook, maid, boo-boo healer, cheerleader, homework helper, permanent dictionary/word speller, etc). It was so hard for me to juggle my day job and be a mommy to WP that I knew when CE arrived I would be staying home. We are fortunate that we can afford to do this, my mom didn't have that luxury. But still, she managed to juggle everything in her life and make it to my softball or basketball games or my girl scout meetings or the choir concert. I never doubted that she would be there to support me in whatever activity I had going on...I don't know how she did it but she did! Thanks mom for everything!!
My dad recently passed away. It's still hard to believe that he is gone. When I was little, I remember thinking that he was a giant, so strong. That is how I'd like to remember him rather than the frail cancer stricken man that he was at the end. Even when the cancer had taken a hold of him, he still fought hard for the people he represented from District 38 A, he wanted nothing more than to serve them the way he had for the seven years prior to his death. He was a hard worker, a provider for our family.
I am so thankful that he got to meet WP (whose middle name is after my dad) and spend some time with him. I will always remember the last time we saw my dad. My sister was carring WP out of the hospital room and as they started to leave, I told WP to tell Grandpa "bye-bye," ever so innocently, WP reached out and gave dad a kiss. I hope my dad was able to hold onto that memory in some sense as he passed away.
My dad's last wish was to meet his granddaugther, unfortunately, he passed away two months before CE was born. But I know that my dad is looking down on her and the rest of us!
Like most parent/child relationships, my relationship with my parents was not perfect or easy. I tested them, that's for sure, but looking back, I realize that no matter how bad I tried to be, they would (and are) always there for me. Now, a parent myself, I hope that my children will think I'm as good of a mom as I think mine is. If they do, I'll be honored!
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