After Mother’s Day, I reflected on my relationship with my mothers (yes, I have two), and realized that while neither one is a Hallmark movie mom, their choices helped create the person I am today: the good, the bad, and the ugly.
If it weren’t for the choices of both my mothers, I wouldn’t have experienced life with the man who raised me, and for that, I am eternally grateful to them.
It might have taken a while, but I had to realize that although I didn’t grow up with the best maternal figure, my dad was up there as one of the best. If you think I’m saying that because he was my dad, I had it confirmed as a teenager, since friends who spent time with my dad told me how lucky I was to have him in my life.
My teenage years allowed my appreciation of my dad to grow. I saw friends with dads who didn’t have time for meaningful conversations, dads who had remarried and dismissed the kids from the previous marriage, and dads who simply didn’t have the time for their daughters.
Until my father passed, we talked about my career, love life (though not in great detail, and of course Blue Jays baseball 😉). I would say he was one of my best friends, and now realize how special that was.
All this to say, while I used to think my dad was my greatest gift, I now realize that if it wasn’t for my mothers, I wouldn’t have experienced that gift. That realization has allowed me to look at my mothers in a different light; one of grace and deep appreciation because if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have had my dad.
While it might have taken me a long time to get to this understanding, I’m grateful that I have achieved this awareness while both my mothers are still alive. 🩵