Compared to my Mom

I am not my mother...yet. In more ways than one.

I cannot cook like my mom. Then again, I do not put in the practice that my mom had. We didn't live around fast food restaurants. We had some local restaurants, but we just didn't eat out much at all...ever. My mom is a wonderful cook. I love eating at my moms. When Lee & I first got married, we ate at my mom and dad's about 6 nights a week. And I'm not really exaggerating there. Then I started to cook. Lee teases me because he got burnt out on pasta...because I cooked it a lot. Really it was almost the only thing I would cook. After talking about it, I had grown up eating rice a few times a week. So pasta was something new for me. We had spaghetti every Sunday, but to have pasta with a different sauce was something I would do.
I still don't cook every night of the week, but I am getting better about it.

My mom was and still is a wonderful homemaker. She's also become my dad's full-time secretary/office manager/makes sure the paperwork gets done person. But while I was growing up, my mom stayed at home with us without those responsibilities. I was fortunate to have her. I remember one time making sure she knew she was babysitting my cabbage patch doll, Seth, while I went to school. She went so far as to change his outfit before I got home. She loves me so much. She never made me feel silly for playing with my dolls.

My mom and dad have a fabulous relationship. They are great examples of friends who laugh and cry together. Who are there for each other in the good times and bad. I am very, very fortunate to have this. I believe that this has helped me in my own marriage.

My mom also did ministry. She was the children's church director at our church for years. She did this because she loved kids and there was a need, so she filled it. She was wonderful at it. I still remember Scripture verses that were taught there. She got to meet Gospel Bill at a conference, which was super cool to me when I was a kid.
She loves God and loves people, and it shows by her being obedient to Him.

I think my struggle has been that I am not the same homemaker as my mom was. I don't know why I felt like I need to be the same as her, but I have had that feeling before....like how can I want to work when I should be staying at home with my kids??

I can say that I am learning to embrace my role as a mom and a wife. I have a beautiful example to follow in my mom, but I my world won't look like hers. And I'm ok with that. She's a great coach to help me in this adventure of life as I become the woman God created me to be.

I love you, Mom!!