Meet my mom, Shelley Weber. I know you probably think your mom is the most amazing mom, but my mom is more than just that: she is the most amazing woman I know.
My mom has been at turns: a nurse, go-go dancer, sister, best friend, wife, business woman, bridal gown saleswoman, x-ray technician, meditation specialist, guitar player and singer, aunt, militant mom, poet, photographer, artist, cheerleader (for my sister and I) and most of all, my mentor and role model.
In every situation my mom would bring positive thoughts, care and concern and proactive energy. She taught me to meditate to reign in my youthful anxieties and temper: skills that I still tap into daily.
Mom showed my sister and I that sisters were precious and valuable and succeeded in teaching us to be more than just sisters…best friends and support for life.
Mom personifies strength. If you have a problem, there is no one that you would rather have by your side. She will slay dragons, bolster confidence and subdue fear with seemingly no effort.
Mom built an empire to care for my sister and I. She did it with love, generosity, skill, determination and perserverance. My sister and I are blessed to have had hands on experience watching her master the real estate business and succeed over difficulty time and time again.
When times were tough, Mom met them with a shrug and a smile. Out of money after paying bills…”It’s only money, I can make some more” was her mantra.
I was never faced with a mother who was uncertain or afraid. I know now that she surely was terrified, but she never showed us that…she was a fierce warrior who would triumph because she knew she had to.
My mom let us have Strawberry Shortcake for dinner and eat lobsters until we were sated. One year the lobster gorging lasted almost a week culminating in a lobster so huge that I had to use a sledge hammer on the claws. Mom is FUN.
Mom instilled a love of books, music and movies: things we still share together. One year it was just mom and I for Thanksgiving. We made dinner in our jammies and ate in front of the tv watching the all day series of “A Year In Provence” on PBS.
Mom made us take stock in beauty and gave us the confidence to demonstrate our artistic skills. We took sketching trips, we sang and put on shows, we wrote stories and poetry, we danced and danced and danced some more. Mom caravaned my sister and I to art lessons,dance lessons, acting lessons,voice lessons….
We had adventures! We traveled for dance and family and we explored historical and natural places or the city…we were on the move. From NYC to Florida, Mom was ready for a road trip with a packed cooler, a blender for margaritas and a go-get ’em attitude.
My mother bucked the system. She stood up for my sister and I when we were brave enough to buck it, too and she let us know that the BEST thing we could be was free thinking and independent. She let me wear safety pins for earrings, gave me my first “new wave”haircut and let me get the trendiest punk rock outfits. She loved us for who we were, not some version that society “thought’ we should be
Mom was TOUGH. There were no corners to cut and no excuses. Mom gave her all and she expected nothing less in return. We were expected to work hard, cooperate and help the family along; there were no free rides.
My mom taught me the value of being flexible and adapting to the changes in life. This is something I still work on, but Mom has paved the way for me.
I hesitate to say my mom is better than yours because I haven’t met all of your moms, but I can say that my mom is better than any other I have ever met. If you find me to be strong, smart, adventurous, silly or brave it is because I learned it from her.
Thank you Mom……
I LOVE YOU.
