Happy Mother’s Day

Today is a day when we celebrate our moms.  A common bond and communal feeling that we all have; our moms are our teachers, friends, supporters, cheerleaders, and care-givers.  In our times of sadness we cry for their comfort and in times of joy, embrace their hugs of pride.  They have all left their thumbprint on our personality and lives.  My mom is no different.  Some of my life’s defining moments have been shaped by my mom.  I grew up standing next to her in the kitchen, and now I love to cook.  Friends and family are always brought together around a meal.  For me, to love is to provide and I learned this from my mom.  As a high school teacher for 37 years, we couldn’t go out in public without her running into a former student.  Even as adults, she could recall their names and their dreams.  The students would always respond with unanimous enthusiasm and praise, explaining to her how she was always their favorite teacher.  Years later, I too would become a high school teacher and am now beginning to share in those experiences.

Now, years later, I can attribute much of the success of my photography business to the love, support, and sacrifices of my mom and dad.  While I was balancing two careers – teacher and photographer – my mom would help me balance my life.  On wedding days, she would watch my dogs.  During my longs days of teaching, photo shoots, and editing, I would come home to a refrigerator of groceries and an encouraging note.  After a wedding, she always asks to see my work and hear the stories from my day.  As I celebrate moments in other peoples’ lives, I often times miss moments of my own…but my mom is always understanding and works around my schedule.

I can’t even begin to explain the role my mom has had in my life.  The stories are too personal and too important to me to share.  I can say though, I am who I am because of the wonderful woman who is my mother.  Happy Mother’s Day, Mom.