A Mother to follow in the footsteps of

My Mother. She is going through a lot right now. Her life is changing with emotional pain and questions daily, but a brighter and more peaceful future ahead of her. She is going the LA County Fair for the first time in her life and vacationing on the beach this weekend for the first time in years. She is taking time to enjoy her life and find happiness in her daily existence. I am glad for that. Mostly because her whole life up this point has been to find happiness for those around her instead of herself. Luckily, I was one of those people around her! She is very self sacrificing and made a beautiful childhood for me and my siblings. So many of my organic qualities I get from my mom. I call her a hippie behind her back, though I don't know if she would claim the title. She instilled in me the importance of healthy and fresh foods, nursing your babies, cloth diapers, recycling, sewing (she just bought me an awesome machine), gardening (though I don't live up to her example), respect and love for family, and conserving what the Earth has left. But more than all those ideals she taught me about love and providing for others. She has done so much for me and our family. She carted us all over to lessons and meetings and practices and performances and ministries. She always made sure we ate breakfast and dinner together with no TV and amazing food to talk over. She kept an sparkling clean house (changing the sheets weekly!) well stocked (I never remember running out of milk!). She taught us about responsibility with meaningful chores and managing money with allowances. She had amazing patience when I (with high anxiety as always) was screaming while learning to drive a car. She loved me and trusted me through some yucky boyfriend experiences. And she was always there when I needed her as a mom and now a friend. She is supportive and complimentary about my adult life without being intrusive or overbearing. She loves my kids more than anything, but never takes them out of my arms or asks to "steal" them away for the day (I hate that). She loves my husband as if he were her own. She is amazing. I have learned more from her than she knows. Thanks Mom.