Why Someone Calls Me "Mom"

Now that you've met my dad (through my eyes, at least), I'd like to introduce you to the inspiration behind my favorite job ... being a mom.

My earliest memories of my mother are of her staying at home to take care of my sister and me. She sacrificed a lot to be our wake-up call, our welcome-home committee and our very own Cruise Director Julie. I give her a hard time because I can remember coming home from kindergarten (a TOUGH half-day!) and asking her for a peanut butter and jelly andwich, to which she replied that I'd have to wait for her to finish dusting. To be fair, I'm pretty sure my five-year-old mind warped that reality a bit before tucking it away to be brought up in times of adult whininess.

As much as I love her dearly for being there for us as kids, I love her even more for her next sacrifice. Mom gave up her free time and even some of her family time to go back to school and to work. It took her years, but she earned her Bachelor's degree as a mom, juggling school responsibilities for both her and her daughters.

Now that I'm a mom myself, I realize just how difficult that must have been for her. She probably worried she was giving up too much to achieve her goal, maybe even fretted over the time away from her husband and kids. What I do know is this: I waited far too many decades to tell my mom that I am incredibly proud of her for her sacrifice. What she imprinted upon me was an intense motherly devotion, the life lesson that becoming a student and a thriving member of the workforce as a parent does not mean you leave your innate "mother-ness" behind.

After my son, Jacob, has been tucked in for the night, I spend much of my time reading books about leadership in education, learning how to navigate my team through a maze of state and local concerns. But I realize now that the person I have sought to emulate the most isn't a superintendent, a highly-paid consultant, or even an author. It's my mom.

She made who I am today possible for me, a reality. She taught me that I can have it all... I can be a leader, a trusted friend, a creative soul ... but more importantly, I can be Mom, too.

I love you, Mom.