It Is What It Is and Other Mother's Day Lessons

Rylee, here.

I have hijacked my mother's blog (with her permission...which I think defeats the point of hijacking, but whatever) in an attempt to create a Mother's Day post. I think my mom mostly wanted me to do this to tell everyone how she's always right since I accidentally made a statement alluding to that the other day, but you know...she definitely knows what she's talking about. Most of the time. :)

Here are a list of lessons I have learned from my mother over the years:

• It Is What It Is. This phrase drives me nuts. Of course it is what it is! What else would it be! It can't be what it isn't, so what choice does it have other than to be what it is? What the heck is it anyway? Nobody can tell me. What I can tell you, though, is that whenever my mother uses this ridiculous phrase, it generally means that although life can be difficult, some things you just can't change. She always emphasizes how I can change how I react to them, though, and how I can "keep on keepin' on" and take control of what I do have control over. While sometimes this advice falls on hard ears as I curl in a fetal position and repeat "No--I don't want to! It isn't what it is!" But it turns out she was right--it actually is what it is.
• Love is spelled T-I-M-E. I was thinking the other day about how much I love music, and how that appreciation stems from the years of musical training I've had. I started thinking about how great I was for pushing through all those years of practicing and lessons and recitals and concerts when I realized that what I did would not even be remotely possible without my mom. What if she had dismissed a simple 4-years-old's dream to play the violin? And refused to put up with what I believe is possibly the worst possible instrument to give to a young child? And what if she wouldn't have driven me to piano lessons, paid for voice lessons, and encouraged me to try out for youth orchestras? In that moment, I had this panic thinking about all the things I would have missed out on had she not been there every step of the way.
• Continuing with this theme, I started thinking about everything I know how to do. Sure, when my cousin and I were the same age, she could sing the Alphabet Song and all I could do was raise my hands and exclaim "Me!" when I was asked who the cutest girl in the world was. (One trick pony kind of thing.) But then I think about how my mother instilled a love of reading in me at a young age, and always pushed me to be the best I could be. I often fell short (and still do,) but she keeps encouraging me to be all that I can. What a great gift to have someone constantly reminding you of your potential and never give up on you--even if you did light that feather-duster on fire or rear-end that other car in high school.
• Also in the T-I-M-E category--did you know I talk to my mom on the phone almost every day? We've made such a habit of it, I just don't feel complete until I've told my mom about all of the big things that happened that day. Whether it's what I did at work that day, roommate drama, or recounting my latest date in which I was almost killed by a psychopath, my mom is always willing to take time out of her day to listen to what's going on in my life. I'm sure she must get some enjoyment out of it, too, but I don't know if she realizes just how much it means to me that she'll set aside 20 minutes each day to listen to the ramblings of a crazy person. 

I know that these are only a few things, and I really don't want to make a super long post that will bore people, but I hope you've come to realize through all of these things that my mother is a truly selfless person. I asked her the other day what she's going to do when Andie's out of the house, and as she listed off all the things she had to do with only two kids in the house, I realized just how much her life revolves around being a mom--around putting 4 other girls (and my dad, too, I guess) and their needs above her own and constantly providing us with an example to follow. I honestly have never thought a lot about being a mom, but reflecting back on all that she's done for me and the wonderful woman she is, I've realized that there's nothing I'd rather do than follow in her footsteps. This is the conclusion I've come to.

It is what it is.