We've gotten a few requests for this topic, but my sister and I kept nixing it. Whenever someone asks me this question, I always talk about my cousin, Mark, the creator of Freekware. And we've already talked about that. But when July's Freeky Friday winner requested this topic, I couldn't say no to her. My sister and I decided to do it, and neither of us would write about Mark.
The easy thing to do would be to write about my college ASL teacher, but I've already written about him, too. Not so much on here, but in almost every single personal statement-type piece I've written in the last three years. No offense, Tucc, but everyone knows how much you inspire me. Today I'd like to honor someone else.
Photo taken by my friend Stephanie on her cell phone
(Yes, I did think it was a pro pic. That's how legit she is.)
I'm not going to talk about how my mom consistently puts the needs of her children ahead of her own. I'm not going to talk about how I call her whenever I'm upset and she reminds me how wonderful I am and completely rejuvenates me. I'm not going to talk about the speech she gave me when I was deciding about becoming a teacher. In fact, I'm not going to talk about her as a mother at all. Don't get me wrong - my mom is a GREAT mom. But that's old hat, my dears. I want to talk about my mom as a person.
(The pictures, however, will continue to reflect my mom as a mom, because that's what I have)
Let's get something off the table right away: my mom is a breast cancer survivor. Now, I admire all survivors because they remind us to be strong, stay brave, and keep moving forward because our work here is never done. But when I think about my mom having cancer, I don't remember her suffering at all. I just remember how lighthearted she was about the whole thing. I mean, she went into the operating room with a piece of tape on her leg in the shape of a V (for victory, of course) that read "not the leg, the boob." Why? Because why not? My mom inspires me to never stop laughing. Life is ridiculous. You might as well enjoy it.
My mom is a teacher at heart, and since I began my pursuit of education happiness, I've really turned to her as a resource. I absolutely love being able to talk shop with her. Last semester when I was struggling with getting through to my students and undoing some bad practices instilled by their previous teacher, someone told me that I couldn't beat them all and to just try what I could and then give up. I immediately called my mom. Was I really supposed to walk away so soon? No, she said, but I did need to realize that not every single student was going to leave my class and start interpreting school. She helped me brainstorm creative ways to incorporate the problem into regular lessons in order to focus on the weaknesses of the few without boring the heck out of the many. My mom inspires me to be a more grounded, more productive teacher.
The other day, I had a conversation with my mom that must have lasted for hours. She told me she worried for me, since my brain was always running a mile a minute, and she wished she could help me see things more simply, the way that she does. We talked forever about the beautiful little things in life, like the time she was walking my dog and just stopped for a while to sit and appreciate a tree, or the time she came to move me in to New York and was totally unamused by the whole city except the ducks in Central Park.
No matter how many times she teaches me this lesson, I need constant reminding: My mom inspires me to slow down, to appreciate what I have and what's around me, and to relish in the time I have alone. She inspires me to be comfortable and grateful for who I am and the world in which I live. She inspires me to love the little things. Cheers to you, Mama Bear!
Photo by ShipLikeTheBoatPhotography
Who inspires you?
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Be sure to come back next Friday, August 19th for an all new prompt:
When are you most happy?
