Yeah Mom!

I've got to make this brief because I have to get to work on an immense project that could net me up to $10,000. It's because of this project that I called my mom for some help in the form of words of encouragement.

WOW! Did I call the right person! Not only did she listen to my explanation of what I have to do and why which included quotes, or course, Mom interjected one liners! They ranged from the whimsical, "Oopsy Daisy", to the dry and biting, "You'll see a flip side when you come to help me." The former was in reference to the lack of organization that I've mastered when it comes to the paperwork in our office. The latter was in response to my representative's comments regarding my perfect personality (for A/V Production) and her comments about how long I have to get this stuff into her after hearing that I could use some help getting everything organized.

Mom knows me. It's been a long time since we truly laughed together, but this little exchange more than made up for the too long gap. I'm so grateful that I could be myself and be appreciated, encouraged, and made to laugh in such a variety of ways.

If you could've heard my mom start a cheer when I said that I needed words of encouragement! Besides being an Administrative Assistant who worked her way up to Executive status at A. C. Nielsen, my mom was a star basketball player, coach and cheerleader! I'm so glad she dug out her pom-poms again. Her cheers started a banter of about five minutes that had me laughing so hard that I fell down. I mean that I literally fell down on a friend's porch stoop while laughing which only made us both laugh harder.

Here's to the multifaceted, talented, feminine, brilliant women out there; but especially my mom. She's endured more than she should have to, had some great times along the way, and is still willing to do what she can when asked.

Today she gave me the will to succeed and understood what I meant when I said, "I'm so glad I called you. Before this I was a bit overwhelmed and thought, 'I'll just kill myself'. I'm a little extreme at times."

To which she innocently, yet so sarcastically replied, "You are?"

That's when I fell down. I can't tell you how wonderful it is to have a mother who has finally made known to me that she knows me, understands me and is still there for me.

I've had my doubts about how she felt about me. We're very different in many different ways, but today we clicked. We joined together as mother and daughter. I found someone to help me in the perfect way; positive, encouraging laughter. It was energizing. It made me all warm and fuzzy to the point where I am crying about it again.

Oh, and I have to mention that I thought I might have called the right person when she mentioned that she had watched "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" on TV in the middle of my explanation about my need to get stuff together so the WIA Grant could pay for, of all things, a AA degree in Digital Audio/Video Production. It was something about linking what I like to do, my perception of the government's weird decision to cover A/V Production and not Web Development, and Mom's appreciation for animation and children's programing. Something inside me heard, "Michelle, you can do this. Go do it, Michelle." Sometimes it's not what's said, but rather the tone that is set that helps more than words ever could.

Thank you, Mom. Sorry I ever doubted you.