{This assignment asked me to profile a person whom I admired in three ways: essay, podcast or video, and infographic. All three ways are included here, though the podcast and infographic are external links.}
{You can listen to the podcast here.}
{You can see the infographic here.}
At seventeen, moving 800 miles away from home to attend college in Nashville is what teenage dreams are made of. After packing my roomful of belongings in the back of my 4-runner, my mom, dad, and I piled in for the 12 hour drive. We stopped in Hope, Arkansas, after checking to be sure it wasn’t a dry county, and found decent Mexican food and sub-par hotel beds. The next day was move-in day for my new dorm; it passed in a blur of new faces, Walmart trips, and cardboard boxes. Before I knew it, it was time for my parents to leave and me to be a big girl at college all by myself. I drove my parents into town to their hotel room and went up to say my goodbyes. I had lived with them for seventeen years, enough was enough, right? Welcome to my freedom!
When it came down to it, I couldn’t hold back the flood gates. There was no stopping the ugly, chest-heaving, blubbering mess that I became. Like a little girl again, I sought the comfort of my mother’s arms, and mourned the loss of their easy access. The time finally came to dry up so I could walk back to my car like the adult I clearly was; no crying in public! As I drove through my new foreign city, I felt the weight of deaf loneliness crashing down on me, and I had to pull over while another wall of tears poured for a mother I hadn’t realized I needed.
Six years later I’m still a momma’s girl, probably more so now. Those years in which we lived under the same roof were trying for everyone involved. We both share the same brand of complete bull-headed stubbornness, and it rarely worked out for me trying to win a fight (but trust me, I tried my damnedest). Growing up, my mom was loving, understanding, and a hard-ass through and through. She never failed to tell me she loved me at least once a day, she always had a listening ear, and she scared the absolute shit out of me- all at the same time! We have a little joke now that I thank her for not letting me be an asshole: when I would not be allowed to do something as a teen, I would pull the “so and so’s mom lets them” card. My mom would always reply, “well, so and so is going to grow up to be an asshole.” As much as I despised her discipline growing up, as an adult I can’t thank her enough for it. She raised me to be respectful and respectable, and to never take shit from anyone, or give it (unless well-deserved).
Looking at her now, my mom is one of the coolest people I know (really). She is an amazing and hard working mom. She had me when she was 23 years old, rocked single mommin’ when her and my father got divorced shortly after my birth, and hustled working in restaurants and bars to support us. She eventually got a job at a company doing accounting work, and though she did not enjoy it, she worked there for twenty something years. One day she decided she was tired of working every day at a job she didn’t like, and made a choice to pursue her dreams. Now, she is an awesome realtor who started her business while working a full time job and managing a family. She built a name for herself on hard work and dedication, and I respect the hell out of her for it. Now she is in a comfortable place where she loves her job, works when she wants to, and has the time to really enjoy life.
Enjoying life is one of the things my mom does best. She loves a good party, great food, and a room full of laughter and dancing. She doesn’t hide her personality and quirks for anyone, and never feels embarrassed about being her true self. Some of my dearest memories of us involve dancing in places where nobody else is dancing and having not a care in the world; just enjoying the moment and laughing our heads off. This is probably my favorite thing about my mom: she lives life in a way that makes other people jealous. And I’m not talking about houses or cars or flashy things, just her being. She takes on the present moment without fear of the future, and seeks out happiness always. My mom is the life of the party, and her attitude is infectious. It’s almost indescribable, like that smell that is so familiar but you can’t place, or that word on the tip of your tongue. But she just always wants to have fun now, enjoy life now, whatever may come later. I have always admired this in my mom, though attempting her style terrifies me. I think it terrifies most people, that’s why people love her so much; she’s living life at a level most people are afraid to. She’s never going to look back and be proud she paid all of her taxes on time or was in bed by 9pm on weeknights. But she is going to look back one day on how much she lived, how she took life by the horns and really enjoyed it for what it was worth. I think she lives more than most people ever do.
For the last three years my mom and I lived about 5 blocks apart in Galveston. As cliché as it is, my mom is really like my best friend, and living that close meant that I saw her at least three nights a week. Getting to spend so much time with my parents was such a blessing, and I am very thankful to be so close to my mom. She knows literally everything about me, and I would never hesitate to tell her anything in my life. I feel very fortunate to have a mother that is understanding and caring, but also realistic; she fully understands that I am an adult, and treats me that way. I never have to lie to my mom about things in my life for fear that I will get the treatment of a child. She still inputs her motherly guidance, but gives it in a way that is advice and food for thought rather than orders and expectations.
Moving to Corpus Christi this year has really been hard on both my mom and I. We haven’t been this far apart in six years, and we are both missing each other a lot. This has been especially hard since she was diagnosed with colon cancer last month. Her being under 50, the news was shocking and heart wrenching for the whole family. My mom, though, is handling it like a champ. It’s really easy to get lost in the unknown this early on, and spiral down into what-ifs and maybes and end up in a bad place. But my mom is keeping her chin up and taking things as they come. This whole thing could be as simple as one surgery, and until we know any differently that’s how she’s treating it. It is painfully difficult to be this far away from her during this time, but I really respect how calmly and level-headed she’s taking this on.
I really think I could write a book about my mom and in no way capture her spirit; I certainly haven’t managed to do so in these few pages. But I have tried to express a drop of what it is like to know her. She’s unlike any person I’ve ever met, and I see the same awe in other people who know her. She is my fountain of wisdom, my forever cheerleader, my greatest confidant, and my best friend. She is hard working, intelligent, hilarious, and soon-to-be kicking cancer’s ass. I know that I’m a little biased, but she really is one hell of a woman, and I wouldn’t trade her for the world.