Mother's Day & Sacrifice

Today you're going to see a lot of blog posts dedicated to the "best mom in the world"...And why shouldn't you? Those of us who are lucky enough to have supportive, loving, funny, strong moms should be singing their praises! 

I was seriously a lucky girl to have not only the best mom, but also the best grandma!

My mom is the best mom in the world for roughly a billion reasons. As I look back on this past year, I recall her unwavering support as I trained for and ran my first marathon. It would be a lot to ask of someone to drive across the state and follow me along a full marathon course with a sign, smiling all the while...and I didn't ask. But she did it anyway! And after that race, as if cheering me on wasn't enough, she bought me the skirt that I'll probably wear to run my next marathon. After seeing yesterday's post about training plans, she offered to purchase an upgraded plan for me, if that's the direction I choose to go in.

Mom (and Matt) at the Space Coast Marathon, waiting for the next chance to cheer me on.

As a kid, I looked up to my mom because she was smart, funny, and not afraid to be herself. She was the role model every young girl should be lucky enough to have!

Mom doing our favorite bit ("Do I have something in my teeth?") while Stephie and I mug for the camera.

Now, as I stare down 30, she is still my biggest cheerleader, but also an invaluable friend. I couldn't ask for better.

Cheering me on at the Rays game where I threw out the first pitch.

I want to say something, too, to those women who are mothers but aren't my mother. (You can't all be that lucky.)  Moms are expected to sacrifice a lot for their kids. Their bodies, their time, their money...many women face the difficult choice of leaving the workforce to stay home with their kids. (The US doesn't make that choice particularly easy, either.) I don't want to be a mom myself, but I'm not blind to the work and dedication that goes into it.

Maybe due to this narrative of sacrifice - that mothers should sacrifice and be happy about it - most moms I know feel guilty when they take time for themselves. And that carries over into guilt about running. I have had the privilege to run with so many awesome, strong moms, and nearly every one has expressed some sort of guilt about the time running takes away from their families.

"Thank you, Mommy, for taking ownership of your life. You inspire me. I want to be like you." They are watching you, Mom. More than you know. <3#Moms #YourMom #FitMom #HappyMom #FitMoms #MomTime #FitFam #FitKids #MomLife #FitTribe #MyTribe #Love #Family #FamilyLife #YourFamily
Posted by Fit Mom, Happy Mom on Friday, May 8, 2015

Listen up, running moms. You are doing your kids a service by running. Not only is it keeping you sane, but it keeps you healthy, ensuring you'll be around for your kids for years to come. Perhaps most importantly, seeing healthy habits and determination teaches your kids to be healthy and determined. Kids learn by example; they will follow what you do.

So keep running. For yourself, absolutely, but also for your kids.

What is your favorite childhood memory of your mom/mother-figure?
What do you appreciate most about the mom(s) in your life?

ABK

Like Clockwork

Maybe I should tattoo a reminder to my forehead so that I stop forgetting that May is my least favorite month and I shouldn't let my expectations get out of hand.

Seriously. Every May, travel, work, and the final push to the end of the school year result in summer colds, mood swings, and general physical ailments.

At first, taking a week off from running for the DC trip seemed great; my sore toes stopped feeling sore, and I thought I was marginally caught up on sleep.

I was wrong to be so optimistic! I was sick enough today that my kids kept telling me, "Mrs. K, you sound really sick." At least I wasn't getting the whole "You look really sick" thing. Maybe they're saving that for tomorrow.

This is how I've spent the last week:

Sick in bed with Archie.

Dinner in bed.

Filling and refilling the garbage can. #noshame

 But, of course there are pick-me-ups along the way:

The kids drew pictures for me after we played vocab-review-pic-charades.

Teacher Appreciation Week made me feel appreciated.

Mucinex finally makes a medication that WORKS for me!

Orange juice and ice cream is full of vitamin C, good for a sore throat, and tasty!

And I got to go home for Mother's Day to see my parents and Charlie.

Speaking of Mother's Day, I had a good one. Matt and I drove up to see our respective moms, and it was really nice to just hang out with my brother and her and eat lunch. My dad showed me his latest surgery scars, including the one for his partial-knee-replacement. (He prefaced the x-ray show-and-tell with, "If you keep running, this will happen to you!"...He's a golfer.)

I was not an easy kid to raise. My mom is seriously a saint for dealing with and supporting me through everything. As I get older and see my friends with kids, I appreciate even more all the things my mom did for me, especially the daily minutiae, like laundry, nose-wiping, late nights, and dinner preparation. My mom was a champion for me and my sister when we were young and she was learning how to feed us gluten free foods (in the days before pre-made GF everything)...

She cooked two dinners a night, one "regular", one GF. She made sure our friends, friends' parents, and teachers knew what we could or couldn't eat. Seriously, heroic.

When I picture her dealing with my childhood asthma, my eczema, my emotional instabilities, I feel pity and deep pride. She got through it all with grace, and I like to think I am who I am today in great part because of her.

Fun fact: we share a birthday and are basically twins.

For those of you with or without kids, those of you who see Mother's Day as a little tedious or fraught with emotion, please read this. You are not alone.
 
How has your May been so far?
What's the best thing to do/eat/drink to kill a summer cold?

ABK