Project 2

Taylor Newton

11-6-15

WRT 386

Professor Kitchens

 

The Most Exceptional Mother

 

It’s already quarter to seven and I do not want to get out of bed. My internal alarm clock has forced me awake against my will and I am now faced with the tearing decision to either lie in bed for another ten minutes, or get out of my warm happy place, and get ready for my day of school. As I am weighing the pros and cons in my mind, I hear a faint knock on my door and look up to see my bright-eyed mother standing in the doorway.

“Good morning! It’s time to get up.” She says in her chipper 7 am voice.

I smile and hesitantly sit up in bed, stretch, and put my feet on the cold floor. As I do so, I can’t help but admire the fact that my mom never fails to come into my room in the morning to make sure I’m awake, even though I’m plenty capable of doing so on my own. I have always appreciated her doing this, especially due to my mother’s struggling health issues. My mom was diagnosed with severe depression many years ago, and over the past five years, she has struggled with foot issues and an array of different surgeries to help alleviate her foot pain.   However, even with her struggling health issues, she still manages to go above and beyond any ordinary stay at home mother.

I finally get out of bed after comparing, but mostly contrasting my mother and my morning routines. I make my way to the bathroom and begin getting ready for school. As I do so, I can hear my mom humming some type of generic tune coming from the kitchen. I don’t even have to think twice, I know she’s baking.

I select my ensemble for the day and make my way downstairs, I smile when I see that my mom has not only made one of my favorite breakfast treats, but she’s also made me a fruit salad consisting of bananas and fresh berries, and a small glass of chilled chocolate milk.

“Aw, thank you mom, you’ve outdone yourself yet again.” I say as I give her a good morning hug, and begin to dig into my magnificent breakfast made with love.

“You’re welcome, now eat up! You’ve got a long day of school and practice. I’ve already made your lunch and I also put a couple of snacks in your lunch bag for later.” My mom tells me as she hands me a nice tall glass of ice water to complete my heavenly breakfast.

“Thank you mom, what ever would I do without you?” I say in a chipper tone, smiling in her direction.

My mom looks my way, smiling.

As I sit and eat, I think back to all of the wonderful memories I have of my mother and everything she has done for me.

My mom was the epitome of the perfect stay at home mother, and she still is, even if her children are now college students. My mom was always up bright and early with my brother and me as we got ready in the morning for school, and she loved making homemade breakfast goods that were so delicious they would make your mouth water from simply thinking about them. She never failed to make our lunches for the day, and when she would do so, she always left a special treat and a note inside of our lunches to make our days brighter once we sat down eager to eat lunch after several long hours in the classroom. My mom would also take every opportunity to volunteer at school events, and she was the first person to help out in mine, or my brother’s classrooms throughout our elementary school days. She brought in snacks for my classmates and me, and always attended the exciting holiday parties that each classroom held. At the end of every successful school year from elementary school through high school, my mom would bake her heart out and give a specially baked good to every teacher, and factuality member on staff. Every teacher and factuality member that worked with my brother and me knew my mother by name, and always looked forward not only to her welcoming presence, but her delicious baked goods as well.

“Taylor, you need to finish up that breakfast, you’re going to be late for school.” my mother says to me as I silently eat, reminiscing.

I sheepishly look up and respond with a smile.

My mom has always looked out for me. She never skipped a beat, and she was always on top of everything.

My mom never once missed any of my gymnastics practices and meets or one of my brother’s nerve racking baseball games. She was always up front and center, cheering us on. I could always count on her for support, and she never once let me doubt that. She watched me fall a thousand times throughout my gymnastics years and she watched me get back up and perceiver. I would look through the glass windows of my gym when I finally landed a skill that I had been practicing, and I knew she would be watching; ready to give me an encouraging smile or thumbs up.

From day one, my mom dedicated her life to making sure her kids and husband were her main priority. Growing up in a strict household with very little affection, my mother learned that it is important to provide a loving household for her children. My mom loves to bake and she has a true passion for it, however, she did not acquire these baking skills from time spent bonding with her mother. So when she became a mother herself, and knew that she wanted to share this special time with her children. My mother always made sure to look after my brother and me, as well as my dad. My mother and father met in their college chemistry class, and they became soulmates ever since. My mom was studying to become a dental assistant, whereas my dad was studying to become a mechanical engineer; and although my mother didn’t pursue her career after having twin babies, my dad went on to have a very successful career as the top mechanical engineer in his firm. My mom had so much pride for her husband and children, and she stopped at nothing to make sure that we were all taken care of.

My mom was never once concerned with it being past her bedtime when she would help me study for a big test that I was extremely nervous for. Never once did she complain when she got the stomach flu after spending days helping me get over that same sickness; and when I did get sick, my mom did everything she could to make me feel better. She would rent movies for me at our local blockbuster, and make sure I always had some Canada Dry to drink, (as that was my favorite sick drink) and she would make a trip at any time of day to the store to get me some soup when I was feeling especially sick with a bad cold. When I injured myself during a gymnastics practice and had to undergo months of physical therapy, my mother never once complained about the cost of the therapy, and she was always right there to help me after a grueling couple of hours with my physical therapist.

“Ouch!” I hear my mom yell as she makes her way to the kitchen from the laundry room.

I’m momentarily interrupted from my memories.

“Did you hit your bad foot?” I ask concerned.

“Yes.” She says with a slight groan.

I frown and began to think about how the last few years have affected my mom.

When my mother got sick and starting having health issues, it became harder for her to keep up with her incredible role as a stay at home mother. It began in 2010, after she endured a tremendously painful stress fracture. On top of her ongoing depression and obsessive compulsive disorder, my mom now had the added stress of working with a broken foot. Although my mom worked around her psychological disorders, her broken foot caused her severe pain, and she began to lose her rhythm as the months went on. She starting having more and more doctor appointments, and she was always exhausted. She went through two surgeries that year alone, and still had several to undergo after she had healed completely from the previous two. She was then diagnosed with what it called complex regional pain syndrome which is when the individual has constant pain in a specific area. This is an untreatable condition that my mother will unfortunately be dealing with for the rest of her life. However, battling all of these health issues never stopped her from her most important role.

My mom continued to push through her pain to keep up with two overly active twins who required more attention than most adolescents. However, it was evident that she was tired and needed some time to rest. My brother, dad, and I would all insist that my mom take it easy and relax, however, she always had a hard time doing so. My mom always wanted to be doing something productive, and she never liked to sit around without a true purpose. To this day my mom has not changed her views regarding this.

Through all of the ups and downs, my mom taught me how to be selfless and put others before yourself. She was nothing short of a fantastic mother and she still is one today. I’ve learned how to be a good partner, companion, and friend with the help of my mom and I can only hope that I am half the mother she is when I have children of my own.

“Alright, let’s get a move on; I’ll be in the car warming it up!”

I’m snapped out of the loving thoughts of my mom as I hear her signaling that it’s time for school. I quickly finish the last delicious bites of my pumpkin scone, grab my backpack, throw on some shoes, and head out the door; smiling as I do so, because I know that my mom is truly the most exceptional stay at home mother.