Happy Mother's Day

I posted the first picture on my mother's 75th birthday.  It was when she was teaching me how to walk.  My mother was my first cheerleader.  Whenever I thought I wanted to do something, she made sure I was ready for it, and pushed me to be the BEST at it.

I posted the second picture when we were at our sorority's Regional Black and Bling Banquet.  She has always been TOO fly...that picture just captured it. From what my grandfather (rest his soul in peace) had told me, she got it from my grandmother, who was style personified.  They both believed in looking their very best.  Always.  As one of my girlfriends told me: "your Mama ALWAYS be hooked up!"

My mother is quiet at first meeting her.  She is first, and foremost, a lady. She's very laid-back, and some people have mistaken this for being stuck-up or unfriendly.  Not at all.  In fact, she's very funny, once you get to know her. Her best friend said that she missed her calling for being a comedian - yes, she is THAT funny.

She's very serious when it comes to two things: God and her family.  I never doubted for one second my mother's relationship with God.  She's not a vocal Christian, she's an ACTION Christian.  She will pray.  She will help. She will teach.  She will do what is needed and necessary.  She will serve.  I couldn't be who I was, if I hadn't watched her.  She is FIERCELY protective of her family. You will not get away with harming my father, my brother, me, my niece and nephews without her addressing it in some fashion.  She won't tell you off, but she'll convey her feelings in such a manner, you'll know you've gone TOO far with her loved ones.

My mother was a teacher for over 40 years.  She was my very first teacher. Her fondest memory was of a bus trip, where a lady wanted to see who was the two-year-old reading all the signs (me in the seat with her).  She says that teaching me and my brother before we went to school was her main goal.  She didn't want us to go empty-headed.  We needed to know some things: our ABC's, our colors, our name and address, who our parents were, our phone number.  By the time we did get to school, we knew all that and more.

But the one thing that my mother taught me, and it's only recently that I've begun to realize this:  she taught me how to handle adversity.  Whenever she had illnesses (and it hasn't been that many, bless God), even though they seemed serious, she went through them with NO complaints.  She didn't sweat the small stuff.  She didn't even advertise it - no one knew (she's very private). Even when I thought it was serious, she was adamant in treating them like they weren't a big deal...and then it turned out that way.  She taught me faith:  that even though it may seem big, if she trusted God, He'd handle it.  When I told her about some things the doctor told me, she said: "Oh, they say those things to scare you. You can't let it.  Just keep going.  It'll be alright. Pray and let God handle it."

So when I hear: 
"girl, ooh, I love that suit, how'd you put that together?" 
"I used to think you were kinda mean/standoffish, but girl, you are a nut! why are you so funny?"
"why do you enjoy helping out so much?"
"you know you love you some family!" 
"your teaching style is unlike anything I've seen!" 
"Renee knows everything" (my bestie Regina's words)  
"how do you handle the tough times so smoothly?"

My response is very simple:  I GET IT FROM MY MAMA!