let me tell you about my mama

This beautiful woman is my mother, Karen. 

My mother is the most amazing person in this world. I don't say that lightly or nonchalantly or just because; I say it because it's the truth. She is, without a doubt, the very epitome of a mother. When God called her to be a mom, He did it knowing that she would rise to the challenge, and go above and beyond her duty as a mom. She has done all that and more. I don't think I would be half the woman I am today if it weren't for her. 

Growing up, she did everything she could to show us that she loved us more than anything in the world, and she did a damn good job of it. She filled our hearts with happiness, our heads with words of affirmation, our bellies with breakfasts and lunches (with apples in the tuna and little notes on the napkins), and dinners that were prepared by her hands and always included heavy doses of love, and filled our ears with all of the best music to ever be made. When we were hurt, she kissed our boo-boos and made them all better. When we were seriously injured, you could see the pain manifested on her face as her beloved babies dealt with broken bones and third degree burns and somehow, I don't know how she did it, but she took our pain away and ingested it all for herself. She supported us through everything we put ourselves into- sports, dancing, school, you name it- and we succeeded because Mama had our backs. She never hesitated to let us know how proud she was of us, and she still does that to this day. 

A woman such as my mother deserves love and respect and to be put up on a pedestal. That wasn't always the case. We weren't always amazing children. There were times when we were FAR from amazing. Personally speaking, I think I gave my mom the worst of it. I was a horrible child. While my mother was the epitome of a loving mom, I was the epitome of an angry child, one that threw her anger and resentment right in her mother's face. I treated my mom with absolute disrespect, pretty much all through high school, and it's sad to say that I didn't realize the full worth of the mother gold mine that I had at my disposal until I joined the Marine Corps. When I all but spit in my mother's face, she still loved me. There were times when I downright DID NOT deserve the love and grace that my mama showered upon me. There were times when I simply did not deserve to have her as a mother; but what did she do? She loved me through all of it. She LOVED me, no matter the hate and disrespect I showered upon her. 

As I said earlier, I didn't realize the true worth of my mother until I joined the Marines, and that's the absolute truth. When I didn't have my mama anymore, all I wanted was my mama. After growing up and realizing exactly what kind of hell I used to put her through, I vowed that I would do nothing but show my mom love and appreciation and respect, because that's what she deserves, all of that and so much more. 

So, on this Mother's Day 2014, I want you to know this, mamabear. I want you to know that I love you more than you could ever imagine. I am so very blessed that God made you my mama, because He knew you would be able to handle a firecracker such as myself. You have made Him proud, because you hit this mom thing right out of the park. I pray that when the time comes for God to make me a mama, that He will mold me into at least half of the mother that you are. Anything more than that, would be an honor. 

I love you forever and I hope that your Mother's Day is blessed. <3