For those that don’t know, Ma is my mom. Ma is the name she was gifted from our oldest, the first grandchild in the family. Honestly, I cannot remember how the names came to be. I think we started calling my parents grandma and grandpa but when our oldest started talking, their names came out as Ma and Bubba. And they’ve been our Ma and Bubba ever since.
Ma’s birthday was two days ago, so we made sure to call and wish her a happy birthday. One message in the morning from our youngest who is already out of school for the summer and the second after our oldest got home from school (half a day left countdown is in full swing). Birthday messages are relegated to phone calls when you are separated by 2,271 miles. And yet, not one of those miles has slowed my mom from cultivating the most incredible relationship with our boys.
Their Ma and my mom is one of the most incredible people I know. I often joke that I can’t do x, y or z (like quit my job or buy a yacht) because we haven’t won the lottery. But in all reality, we’ve won the lottery. Our win just came in the form of Ma rather than a cash prize, which is truly better than any dollar amount.
It didn’t take her becoming our Ma for me to realize this. I have known her incredible nature my whole life. She is as resilient, strong, driven, loving, kind, compassionate (I will stop here as the list would be infinite), as the day is long. When you’re a kid, you don’t necessarily see all of those attributes simply because you’re a kid but her love, kindness and compassion have always been a staple in my life.
When people ask you who the strongest person you know is? Or someone you admire in the business world? Someone you look up to? The kindest person you know? Someone you’d like to be like? My answer is always my mom, our Ma.
Being witness to her path in life was beyond incredible. I got the behind-the-scenes version, so watching her traverse the highs and lows and in-betweens taught me so much. She is the reason I’m as driven and determined as I am. She is the reason I’m willing to take risks and put myself out there. Without her, I would be a very different person. She is the person I call when mom life is overwhelming and I need someone to just listen or need help or advice. She is the reason for a lot in my life and for that I am eternally grateful.
But back to her as our Ma….
We’ve been separated by miles since our kids were born. First between the Midwest and East Coast and now the South West and East Coast. But her relationship with the boys has never felt distant. She has always found ways to stay connected. Some of those connections come in the form of trips. Those trips are filled with incredible activities, art projects and experimenting in the kitchen. Top contenders from those trips are the cake eating contest one summer, frog legs our oldest wanted to make (which she somehow found out by us) and a trip to Blue Harbor resort in WI.
Trips are always amazing but clearly can’t happen all the time so in between those trips, there are so many other ways she connects. The boys regularly get mail from her. Cards with jokes, sweet messages and a one dollar bill. The kids go bonkers every time one comes in the mail and they know exactly who it’s from. Other times mystery packages arrive on our doorstep that include books, games and any items that just make her think of the boys.
FaceTime has been one of the most frequent ways they connect. Calls are nearly daily. Sometimes just to say a quick hi and for others, the boys build themselves a little fort so they can sit in it and talk to Ma about their day. I love watching them curl up into a comfy, cozy space and talk to her about all the details of school and recess and even what we had for dinner.
Beyond our boys, she is kind, loving and supportive of my husband, our partnership and our life together in general. My friends may like her more than they like me (I’m joking…maybe) because I will get calls from friends to say that (prior to moving out of WI), they had dinner plans with my mom or ran into her and got to chatting or she was able to help them with their resume and advice about a job interview.
I haven’t met a person in her life that hasn’t been affected by her in a positive way. And how lucky am I that I get to call her mom. But it also speaks volumes of the human that she is and the indelible mark she continues to leave on this world for so many.
Although birthday wishes are only celebrated once a year, we celebrate our Ma every day. Having her has enriched our lives in ways I could only dreamed of and yet she’s our reality. I know it’s always a joke that people turn into their mothers but honestly, if I could become half the mom, friend, neighbor, confidant and business woman mom my is, I would be incredibly grateful. So cheers, to you MA and LYTTMAB.
Too Much Laundry, Not Enough Wine 