Celebrating My Inspiration. My Mother!

In celebration of International Women’s Day Tuesday, March 8, I took some time to reflect on a woman who has truly been an inspiration in my life.  My mother grew up on a farm in rural Nebraska and knows the value of hard work.  She used to tell me stories of how she had to hold the feet of the chickens, while her mother (my grandmother), chopped off the heads.

Later in life, my mother’s character was put to the test when she became a single mother.  While balancing the pressures of life as a single parent, my mom never let work overtake her role as a mother.  She rearranged her schedule so she could pick me up and drop me off at school every day.  She was also extremely involved in my life by being my Girl Scout Troop leader and my volleyball team’s coach.  She constantly put others before herself.

My mother also taught me the value of giving back.  From Junior League to symphony guilds, my mom was, and still is, constantly involved with volunteering in the community.  I love that I have acquired her volunteering spirit, and hope to work for a non-profit agency when I graduate.   Not only do I pray that I can be as great of a mother to my children as my mom was to me, I hope to be as well rounded and balanced of a woman as well.

So this week, make sure to take time to think about and thank the amazing women in your life.  Also, do your mother a favor, and shoot her a text every morning over spring break to let her know you’re alive.