Mama Mia
Originally published at bcvsbc.blogspot.com on 05/14/18
I know every mother thinks they won the jackpot with their kids, but I actually did win the jackpot with my kids. If there was one thing I could change about having cancer it is the changed reality my children are having to live with. There childhood changed in an instant, enter mom guilt, because of me. Up until that moment I had done everything in power to prevent them from growing up to quickly and in an instant that was gone. There was a lot of trepidation about how they were going to react to the news by Scott and I. Thankfully our kids are incredible. They immediately got on Amazon and loaded the cart with all the breast cancer paraphernalia they liked. We are know bathed in pink cancer fighting shirts, wrapped in bracelets supporting the cause, and constantly looking for new breast cancer items. The sweetest pick they had was shirts to wear for me. All I ever wanted to be was a mom, and I am even more thankful this Mother's Day for my children.
I like to think of myself as a great mom but when I compare myself to my mom, I would kick it down to good. My mom is someone I always considered my best friend. Between school and swimming I didn't really have many close friends so she was it. Growing up with a large family (3 brothers, 2 sisters) I watched how hard she worked to get things done around the house, run kids to activities, and be there for each of us in our own way. She was exhausting to watch and because of that I tried my hardest to do more. Around the age of 8 or 9 I started doing a nightly turn down service to my parents bed where I would lay notes and candy on the pillows. I had no idea how to make things easier for her but had a desire to do something to show her...now decades later I am back in my parents house and relying on her endless devotion to help me get better. Over the past few weeks she has become my nurse, picked up the slack on all my mothering duties for my kids, become a shoulder for my husband, and so much more. I can't imagine standing at the start of this race without her by my side. Saying I love her does not do justice to the level of emotion I have for her. It is a love that is so much more. I will forever be grateful that I got her as my mom. SHE. IS. THE. BEST.
