Ordinary Women, Extraordinary Moms

Our Moms are often our world when we are little. quite literally they keep our little lives moving and growing and help to expand our horizons. We believe, that they can do anything and they make us feel the same while also reminding us that they, not us, are really in charge of the decision making. 

Then we grow up and our moms, who we thought helped shape our world when we were little, are still helping to shape it as we get older. We no longer need our mother's advice but now we want it. 

"What does your Mom do?" I remember friends asking this question and replying "Oh she just stays at home." It didn't ever strike me as important and it certainly wasn't brag worthy, but she was always available to drive me to swim meets and make sure I had clean laundry and a warm dinner to eat, on top of all the other unnoticeable things she did throughout the day for the whole family. I took it all for granted.

I moved away to college and my siblings all thought I would never make it without my mom to do everything for me. But they were wrong. I did make it through college and then married and never moved back. But they were right too. I did need my mom not just to help me with the small things but because being around her was what made me who I was.

I had a front seat to her life. I saw her everyday, on the good days and the bad days. I saw her work hard and love her family even when doing so meant less time, money and energy for herself. I watched her live out her life and show me by example how to be a woman. 

Today it feels like to be a successful woman, you must have it all. A college degree, a fulfilling job, a husband, a beautiful home, loving children and a bunch of fun girl pals to hang out with on the weekend. 

Don't buy into that lie. Being a successful woman isn't defined by any of those things. My mom was a success because she showed up. She showed up, and took care of her kids even when we were driving her crazy. She loved her husband, she served her church family and she loved God, even when times were hard. 

"Well behaved women, seldom make history."

We have all heard this quote and some use it as a battle cry for woman everywhere to stand up and walk out of the house and do something important with their lives. 

The quote is from an article written in 1976 by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, “Vertuous Women Found: New England Ministerial Literature, 1668-1735”. Ulrich, who is a historian and Harvard professor and Pulitzer Prize winner, wrote about the well behaved women who came before us and how important their lives were in history. Not because they did anything big enough to get noticed but because they did the opposite. They did the thankless jobs of taking care of their families and serving in the every day ordinary tasks of home life. 

My Mom in every sense of the word is ordinary. She married her highschool sweet heart at 18 years old, and never attended college or had a career. She instead raised six children and became the center of our home. 

She enjoys waking up early, ironing pillow cases (who does this still?) and bargain hunting at her local GoodWill. My mom is known for her homemade pies and her affectious laugh. Anyone who knows her will tell you she’s a horrible secret keeper. If you want information to keep quite don’t tell mom! She’s a loving Nana, who spoils her grandkids and she’s hates flying but she loves seeing her grand babies so she’s gets on the plane anyway.  

She is however the most extraordinary woman I know because her love and devotion for her family and for God is never ending and seems to only get deeper with age. 

 To every ordinary woman who chooses to be an extraordinary mom, Thank you! While you may feel you are drowning in the mundaneness that is life as a mom, and worried that history is passing you by remember you are instead creating history through the lives of your children and all those you touch around you.  

"Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her: “Many daughters have done well, But you excel them all.” Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, And let her own works praise her in the gates."

Proverbs 31: 28-31