At the risk of being sappy, I”m writing a public thank you letter to my mom just in time for the flock of mothers to start arriving on the Palouse for Moms” Weekend.
Since I left for college two years ago, it”s become increasingly clear that I wouldn”t be who I am now without her, and there are a million reasons why – the following are just a few highlights.
Lyndsie Kiebert
Argonaut
My mother has always been the type to lead by example. She refuses to do anything half-heartedly. Whether it”s as the leader of the local 4-H club or as the die-hard basketball mom in the stands at an away game, the woman is relentless in the best way possible.
My mom has taught me not to apologize for being fully invested in my endeavors, and never to apologize for being myself. She takes on too much and somehow gets it all done, staying true to herself the whole way – something I aspire to do thanks to her example.
Something people first notice about me might be my love of conversation. To put it bluntly, I like to talk. This, I undoubtedly got from my mother.
But it goes further than the simple desire to chat. The importance of communication is something that can come across as a curse – especially when other people don”t get the same high from exhausting a topic like I do – but talking things out is a problem-solving skill and a relationship saver that my mom bestowed in me.
Why play guessing games when communication can solve so much ambiguity? I know not everyone shares this philosophy, so when everyone is tired of hearing me attempt to work out issues verbally, I know my mom will still be listening.
Most importantly, my mom taught me how to come to terms with outcomes of all kinds throughout my life. Her go-to phrase is “Everything happens for a reason.” It”s less about anything spiritual and more about finding peace in any situation. I catch myself repeating the phrase on bad days, reminding myself that the universe works in strange ways.
My mother never thought she”d be married in a small town, raise four daughters and ultimately become an elementary school librarian who teaches sixth grade math. Yet, every time she visits me in Moscow I get to hear about how happy she is where she ended up, and how “Everything happens for a reason.” My mom gives me hope and reassurance, and that”s what moms are for, right?
We may not be celebrating the University of Idaho”s Moms” Weekend together this year, but it”s no big deal – we have our own weekends all the time. Since coming to college, my mom has become one of my closest friends, and I hope she considers me one of hers.
There are so many negative connotations that come with the statement “I”m becoming my mother.” Yet, I see more of my mother in myself every day in the way I approach challenges, build relationships and come to terms with all the little curveballs life throws at me – and I see nothing negative about it. I am becoming my mother, and I am proud.
Lyndsie Kiebert can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @lyndsie_kiebert