Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Mother (as in maternal parent) (04/24/08)
-
TITLE: Memories of Mom | Previous Challenge Entry
By Shea Sutton
05/01/08 -
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES
Many people grow up believing that their mom is Superwoman and she can do anything. Sooner or later, we all learn that mothers are human just like us. They all make mistakes and “fall short.” I learned that my mom cannot always be there for me when I need her and that there are monsters under the bed. When my grandfather was diagnosed with lung cancer, my mother made a decision to spend as much time near her parents as possible. Because my grandparents lived over two hours away from us, this meant that my mother could not commute back to us often. There were doctor’s appointments to attend and “looking after” to do. Meanwhile, I was attending tenth grade classes and softball practice. That season, neither of my parents attended any of my softball games. My mom was always in Broken Arrow and my dad was playing the roles of both breadwinner and homemaker.
I learned during that winter, that mothers have real emotions just like their children. They get angry and hurt and impatient. My mom had never really been a patient person anyway, but with the spiraling health of her father, things only got worse. Understandably, she was nearly always in tears or yelling or both. Even after my grandfather passed away, my mother grieved for over a year. She was hurting and as my father says, “Hurt people hurt people.”
Although the fights between my mother and I started long before my grandfather’s illness, each fight intensified greatly throughout my high school years. I learned that just because you share the same DNA does not automatically mean you think alike. For instance, she both adores and excels at math, while I on the other hand prefer grammar and mechanics.
Since getting married, however, our mother/daughter relationship has changed. No, we still do not always see eye to eye on many of life’s issues, but we have learned how to respect each other more. I have come to understand that she did the best she could with what she had. She tried to provide the best environment, teach me about God and life, and love me. I look forward to the future years when I shall have children of my own and I pray everyday that God would give me wisdom regarding child-rearing.
We each have our differences, my mother and I, but God is teaching me to accept her for who she is and showing me that all we can do is our best. While my mother was not always exactly what I needed and wanted, I do believe that she did her best. I hope that someday my daughter will see that I did my best as well.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be right now. CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.