Dear Mom

Dear Mom,
My whole life I've understood motherhood wrong. After I had Cami, I thought that I knew what motherhood was about. With Emily I understand more, but I don't think I'll ever get the real meaning of motherhood.
What I do know is that mothers are about teaching,  support, sacrifice and love.
I've been watching you, you know? I learned a lot from you that way. 

Motherhood is about hard work for the family. Like hours or ironing to help provide for the family when things were hard. Or holding everything together when so individuals or family members feel like breaking.

I remember when I received my Young Women's medallion. During the program they asked me to talk about my experience. I stood up at the podium in the Relief Society room and my eyes immediately found you and I started crying, and not just a little tears, a sobbing mess because you helped and supported me in all of those projects and I felt that the projects were important in developing my skills as a woman. You have been supportive to me in every single way and never  gave up on me.

I think that's one of the most important parts of being a mom; believing in the best future for their children and never giving up on the person they have the potential to be.

Motherhood is about sacrifice. I'm learning that first hand every year. By waking up every two hours with newborns or cleaning up pee/poop/vomit out of everything and anything. Or putting up with whiny,crying, screaming children. You did all of this and more five times over whole handling other children. Like Mark and I constantly fighting at the dinner table or Dennis getting into trouble. There is the less visible  moments when you gave up things you wanted in order to take care of us kids.

These traits taught me motherly love. You are a fantastic mom. You have been when I was younger. As a grown up, I still need my mom sometimes and you are still that great mom I remember. I love you so much.

Thank you so much for everything you have done, is doing and will do.

Michelle