One Tough Mother

Hello, dear reader! Where has the time gone? This year is moving right along, and Mother’s Day is here with Father’s Day coming soon enough. Are you a mother or father being celebrated and honored this year? Do you have a parent to celebrate and honor? Someone who is like a mom or dad that has helped you grow in life? Regardless of your response, I hope this time of year is a time of peace and gratitude for you and yours. A time of positive reflection.

Whether you plan for it or not, so many things come with being a parent. Things that are lessons and opportunities for growth on every level of your being. There are moments of hesitation, elation, regret, and anxiety. There are times filled with messes, laughter, tears, joy, hurt, anger, and even shame. It is a challenge. No matter which leg of the journey you may be on, being a parent is work and more so being a MOM or DAD, not just a mother or father. Parenting is not easy, but it is a challenge that can reap beautiful rewards. For those struggling with the journey I encourage you to keep going. Especially those of us doing it alone as a single parent. Seek help from family, friends, or community resources. Make and take time to check-in with yourself to ensure you are as well as can be. Our wellness of mind, body and spirit have a profound impact on the children we raise. Our children are an investment in ourselves and taking care of our health is in part an investment in them. Raising children is an opportunity to pass on wisdom and build sound character in the men and women who must carry on into the future where they shape law and culture. I salute the parents who are striving to be positive, healthy influences in the lives of those around them, and in this space here, I salute my own mother, a true mom.

I cannot speak for everyone, but I count it a blessing having not just a mother to celebrate, but a mother who is a mom. There is a difference. As a single parent she struggled, she fought, she wept, she laughed, she was firm, and best of all she was perfectly imperfect, doing what she could, and what she knew to do with what she had. My mom laid the foundation of faith in God that keeps me to this day. She taught us humility and gratitude. She watched me excel in areas and fail in others all the while praying for me and encouraging me to be my best self no matter what. She showed that statistics are numbers calculated against the masses but that where you fall among those numbers is a choice. One of my favorite sayings from childhood was being taught that, “no one can stop you but YOU, Tasha.” Fiercely protective and loyal yet fair, mom taught us to see past the barriers society created. A first-hand witness to the atrocities of what a segregated America was, she taught us to hold fast to what is right and moral, taught us to walk with our head up and our face forward. To be meek but not weak. To love and not hate. She raised us to say what we mean, and to mean what we say. And today? Today though we are all adults, she is still being mom. She reflects grace and beauty inside and out. A unique bouquet of wit, strength, integrity, fierceness, and humbleness. More spicy than sweet she is the nurturing spirit that binds four generations together through prayer, love, and patience. Some years back she gave me a shirt that reads, “one tough mother,” and I laughed. I keep that shirt safe. While I am not yet perfect, I would not be the mom that I am had it not been for the nurturing she gave. To that end I say thank you mom from the depths of my heart and the far reaches within the vastness of my mind. Thank you, mom, for everything you do and have done. Even when you do nothing at all you are and have always been a blessing not just to me, but to this world. You, dear mom, are truly one tough mother and I love you for you.

Blessings to everyone,

Tasha