Mama

March 3 was my mama's birthday. She turned 60. My mother is exactly 30 years, 9 months and 24 days older than me. We both have big birthdays this year. She turned 60 and I'll be 30.

Rarely does a day go by when I don't talk to her. This started when I left for university. I figured, heck, if I stayed home and went to university I'd talk to her everyday, why am I going to stop just because I live down the 401 rather than down the hall?

My mom is an incredible woman. A teacher by trade for 40 years now (yes she's retired, but she's still supply teaching), she has been the best teacher I could have asked for.

She has had to deal with lots of crap. As a teacher, a parent, a woman. 11 years ago was a shitty time for the family and quite frankly I don't know how she got through it with such grace and dignity. Within a year; her husband of 28 years left, her mother died, she had to sell both the house she grew up in and the house she raised her kids in, start a new life in a new home and ship me off to university 8 hours away (ok that last part was me). My mother was a rock. Oh sure she had her rough days, she was human, but she was and is the strongest woman I know.

I remember the day I got in to the U of O. I had already been accepted to Western and Queen's... but without even having made my decision really, or having a conversation that I can remember, we both just knew Ottawa was where I needed to be. Acceptance letters came around the time that my grandma was in the hospital. Mom was picking up my brother and I from school almost daily to go to the hospital to visit. On this day, mom had stopped off at home first, and happened to check the mail. I remember that I was in another classroom than I normally am at that time, and mom, personally knowing the teachers/office staff of my school, ended up getting them to do an all-school announcement for me to come down to the office. I go down the atrium stairs and there standing through the glass walls of the office, is my mom waving the big envelope that I knew was from the U of O. The decision had been made with a big hug.

A couple of years ago I got really homesick. I went home for a long weekend, and when it was time to head back to Ottawa, it was the only time that I left my mom's house in tears. I was done in Ottawa. My mother (who at the time I think had my brother living at home with her, or my sister and niece had just moved in) said to me "If you need to come home, I'll call the movers. I'll come and get you and you'll be home". No mention of where I'd work or what I'd do. She was there for me.

She knows how I'm doing as soon as I pick up the phone, even if I haven't said a word yet. And I know the same of her. She loves me for my pack-rattish ways the same way she loved me for the procrastinating ways with my homework during school. She never got mad at me for a bad mark (i.e. less than an A in my mind) because she knew I was harder on myself than I needed to be.

If and when I need her, she drops what she's doing to be with me. She is the ultimate mother who will help her children with whatever they need. She doesn't coddle us, but she is there for us. She supported me when I did my highland dancing, and didn't force me to stay in it when at the age of 8 I said I was done. She came to every baseball game I had, and still does come to watch when she's visiting me and I have a game scheduled- and then comes out with my team after for drinks.

She's in a bowling league, supply teaches, helps out with girl guide camps and goes on group bus trips. She went to Europe last year for the first time. I was so excited for her and loved how although I wasn't there with her, I could share it with her having already been to some of the same places.

She helps raise my niece and takes care of her former in-laws (my grandparents) who live 5 minutes away from her in a nursing home, by visiting, taking them out for errands, meals and bringing them groceries.

My mom holds the biggest part of my heart. She's my best friend.

Happy birthday mama. I love you.