The One Constant in My Life

I've got to go with my first instinct when addressing the following question:

December 14 - Appreciate. What's the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it?  (Author:  Victoria Klein).:


The one thing that I've come to appreciate most in the past year is my relationship with my mother.  Don't get me wrong, I have always been thankful for my mother and our relationship.  My mother is my best friend and has been for a long time.  I probably came to realize the importance of our relationship and our special connection when I was a teenager.


Yes, I've had friends growing up.  Girls from the neighborhood, girls from school that I hung around with, but my mother has always been there for me.  When I was young we went through growing pains.  We had a traditional mother daughter relationship where she was the parent and I was the subordinate.  But our closeness evolved over the years.


In middle school we had our weekly luncheons at Bloomingdales and Lord & Taylor.  I had a half day of school on Wednesdays and my mom would pick me up and treat me to a fancy meal.  We had our shopping expeditions on Saturdays.  After working as a team and splitting the housecleaning chores we would reward ourselves with a visit to our favorite department stores.  In eleventh grade my mom and I started a weight-loss program with the Diet Center and we buddied up to take the journey of losing weight together.  We were each other's support system.  When my mother was struggling in her marriage, I was her confidante.


Not much has changed over the years.  My mom is not only my best friend but she is a wonderful Nana to my two boys.  In fact, she has taken the roles of both grandmother and grandfather in my father's absence.  There is nothing my mother wouldn't do for me, my husband, nor her grandkids.  My mother is the most generous and self-less human in our lives.


This past year we have all hit some milestones.  Her first grandchild started college and my mother turned 70.  I realize that time has caught up with each of us.  I am more aware of how integral my relationship is with my mom.  She is a huge part of my life.  She is my best friend, my confidante, my support system, and my angel of hope in times of need.  I realize how lucky I am to still have her here on this earth.  I remind myself everyday of how much I appreciate my mother.