You know those people that make a huge impact in your life? The ones that help mold who you are and are essentially a part of you? For me that person is my 2nd Mom. Yep, that's right, I have 2 Moms. The 1st is my real biological mother obviously, the 2nd is my daycare mom from when I was little. But, she's not my daycare mom, she's just my mom. I call her mom and she treats me the same as she does her own children. Today is her birthday, and I will forever be thankful for this day because if it weren't for her, there is no doubt in my mind that I would not be the person I am today.
A huge reason why I teach children with special needs is due to spending a large part of my childhood in a home where everyone was accepted. It didn't matter if you were blind or deaf, if you were a twin or an only child, if you were short or tall, if you were a boy or a girl, or gay or straight, if you were black or white or orange or purple, you were included in everything and accepted along the way. Who cares if you can't see, you get to have a water balloon fight and ride bikes and play kickball in the alley with us because we all were taught to help each other and participate and we had fun. Each of us had our own strengths and struggles but I never once felt sorry for another child because of their struggles because to us we were all the same, kids. She made sure our environment supported learning and growth, but most importantly acceptance and kindness. When I was little and someone would ask the famous "what do you want to be when you grow up?" my answer was always "a daycare mom". I wanted to be just like her and stay in an environment like that forever. I loved children and I loved her and that's who I wanted to be. As I got older I realized that teaching was more my calling and here I am today, teaching young children and letting them be kids. She has made great impacts on many 'daycare kids' lives in big ways and I hope that through my teaching I am able to touch that many families and children as well.
The other thing that I will forever be grateful for is how much she pushed me in so many ways. Education was very important to her, as it should be, and she helped me to be independent enough to face college and a future that was unknown. She has pushed me to be a better person, an accepting person and one that is able to show love. I have this overwhelming need to want to please her and make her happy, just to be able to give back what she's given me all these years. I know that if I make a mistake or struggle, she'll be there for me with open arms waiting to help me though. The toughest day in my life thus far was a few years back and the only thing I wanted to do was see her to talk it through and have someone to comfort me in only a way that only she could. And of course she did just that, she listened and helped me to realize that everything would be okay, it was just another step in life. As I get older I realize more and more what part people play in my life and I know that she plays a big role. I think the beauty about getting older and growing up is that hopefully, now I can contribute more to the relationship than when I was little. I understand how important she is to me and I want to make sure that she knows that. So, I hope I show it as well as she has always shown me how much I mean to her. Happy Birthday Mom!
No comments:
Post a Comment