My Mother Is a SAINT

"And there's no way I can pay you back, but my plan is to show you that I understand... You are appreciated." ~ Tupac Shakur

Yes, we just started this thing with a Tupac quote!

This past week was "Back to School" for our teachers. We have meetings, cover new stuff, and at some point, every year, it comes up... not every kid comes from the same situation, the same type of family, the same upbringing, etc.

We all know this is true. This is my 18th year as an educator, and I could write an entire book (or Blog lol) about the people I've encountered, the success stories about those who rose above incredible circumstances, and how I've seen first hand that if you just don't give up, eventually you can get ahead in this life.

I believe every kid has a chance to make it. Having said that, I know it's a lot harder for some than others. That wasn't the case for me. God gave me an incredible head start in life by giving me the momma that He gave me.

Neither one of my parents graduated high school. They got divorced when I was five. I wrote a whole story a while back about my dad, and how my dad is my hero. That's true. He is the hardest worker I've ever met, the toughest guy I know, and I've learned so much from my dad.

My mother though, she is a SAINT. She is. She's the best lady I know. The thing my mom did for me, and I didn't realize it at the time, but she went back to school. She got her GED, and then she got her Associate's Degree in early childcare. I saw how that degree let her get paid to do something she loved doing. My mom loves kids and she loves helping people.

Before she did any of that, I was her first student. She would have me at home reading books and doing all these things that I didn't want to do. I was just a little kid! But she had me do things like memory tests. I'll never forget it, she would do these drills to teach me how to remember things better.

She taught me to do things like this... one of my friend's phone number ended in "2386." Well I remembered his number by "23 = Michael Jordan" and "86 = the year we won state in triple overtime." So I put meaning with numbers, and it helped me remember. I still do it today! My mom was a great teacher, and I think school came a little easier for me, at least in the beginning, because of my mom.

My mom also made me go to church. I joke all the time that my mom has a direct line to Jesus. You know how you'll get a phone call, but you see who it is, and you hit the red "reject" button? You can just call them later, right? But there are some people, no matter what, if they call, you hit that green "accept button every time. That's my mom when she prays. Jesus is like, "oh it's Teresa, I gotta take this call." So if you need somebody to pray for you, get my mom to do it. Jesus always takes her calls.

Running that daycare all those years, a lot of other kids got to be around my mom. My stepdad is a Baptist preacher, so she is still involved with kids in Sunday School and the nursery. I don't know anybody that knows my mom and doesn't love her. She is just such a good lady.

When she gives me some advice I don't want to hear, I might get mad for a minute. Later, I usually realize she's right. Either way, right or wrong, she's one of the handful of people in this world I can't stay mad at.

So what can we take away from this? What can we all learn from my mom?

One, she is slow to anger. I think we would all be better parents if we remembered to keep our temper in check. Two, and this kind of goes along with that last point, she is very patient. I think we would all be better parents if we remembered to be more patient with our kids.

Third, and this is something that we can all do, she turned everything into a "teachable moment." A game of Monopoly. A song on the radio. A movie we're watching. My mom is always teaching. That's something we can all do if we just pay attention and look for those lessons.

So in closing, yesterday was my birthday. We talk all the time on here about "Just Win Today," just make today a good day, etc... Well that day was my first ever WIN, because that was the day that God made Teresa my Momma.

Where would I be without my mom? I can't even begin to imagine. How do you thank somebody who did so much for you, who sacrificed so much for you?

There's no way I can pay you back, but my plan is to make you understand... You are appreciated.

Love you Momma.

#JWT