Me and my mom, chillin in a hammock–circa 1986
So much of what I love most about my mom, I didn’t really appreciate until I had my own children. My mom worked 4 days a week for most of my childhood–which meant we had a {wonderful} nanny for 4 days and then one special “mommy day” with mom (Fridays). Throughout the week she kept the house going by cooking, cleaning, and getting everyone where they needed to be–in addition to working a full schedule. We used to tease her a bit for forgetting things here and there, but now that I have my own kids and keep up a similar schedule, I understand so much better–it’s a lot to keep track of!
Now that I have the pleasure of seeing my mom interact with my daughters, I can see what a wonderful role model she is without the constant grind of being a parent. She is patient and kind. She gardens and cooks with the girls and takes the time to let them explore. She doesn’t rush them through meals or experiences, she lets them enjoy things: something I struggle with. She is curious and likes to spread that curiosity to her kids and grandkids–she is constantly sending articles, recipes, and beautiful photographs to my brother and I and our spouses: all on topics specifically of interest to each of us. She appreciates the little things. Her excitement at receiving as a gift a hand-me-down roasting pan that I literally took out of my cabinet and stuck a bow on is equivalent to anything I could have bought in a store. And every time I hang my laundry on my outdoor clothes line here in Milan I think about my mom–I can just hear her saying “oh how fun!” when she gets to see it in person.
My mom is retiring at the end of May, and I am so excited to see how much more she gets to explore with more hours in the day to focus on her favorite things. I love you, Mom!
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there! I’d especially like to extend a special shout out to the hardworking moms on the Five Grain team!