I never,
ever tell people how much they mean to me as often as I think it, or as often
they deserve. It’s too much for a photo caption, and too much for a card. So
this is a letter of thanks to all the mothers in my life.
First and foremost, to my mom. Mommy, thank you for giving
me life. Not just for giving birth to me, but for giving me life. You worked so incredibly hard as a
teacher in order to help provide for us and taught us what it’s like to have a
passion and be in service to others. You provided me with siblings to love and
play with. You provided a home out in the country, a child’s dream, with pets
and chores and lots of room to play. You provided a loving, caring family and a
stable marriage that allowed me to grow up never fearing if my family would
fall apart, and taught me what a strong, Christian marriage looks like, so that
I can now live that out in my own marriage. You took us to church, every
Sunday, without fail, even when the drive was long and we were little and
squirmy. You taught me what it means to serve God with my entire life and to
live out the forgiven life I received when you had me baptized at just days
old. You shared with us the financial struggles of sending us to Christian
schools, yet rather than letting us worry about our future, you helped show us
the ways in which God was blessing us and taking care of us. That is a skill I
carry through to this day. You taught me how to enjoy life, how to laugh and
have fun. You taught me the meaning of responsibility and rules, never giving
in to my whining or my ability to “forget” to do my chores. You didn’t seek to
be my friend, rather guiding me as a mother should. You understood my need for
independence you let me be myself and move out and grow up. I was blessed to
grow up with you as my mom.
And the blessings still keep coming. You forgive me when I
am busy and don’t call. You understand when our short visits are filled with
other responsibilities. You pray for us and brag about us and update us with
what’s going on at home. You show you care by saving those fun magazines and cool
stickers for my Kindergarteners, who you love as much as I do, even without
meeting them. You have become a friend, someone who I can talk to more and more
on a peer level, as we discuss classroom woes and parenting philosophies and
faith questions. You inspire me with your new-found passion in serving in
Guatemala, going out of your comfort zones in ways I don’t know that I could.
You show constant love without discrimination, welcoming Nick into the family
with open arms.
People always say you grow up to be like your mom. Every day
I realize how much that is becoming true, and I am proud to say it. If I can
raise kids like you raised the four of us, I will be a proud mom someday. If I
can be a teacher as loving, dedicated, and creative as you were, I will count
myself as blessed. If I can be a wife as committed and loving as you are, then
Nick and I have a bright future ahead. Thank you for everything you do, you
have done, and you will do, Mommy.
Secondly, to my mother-in-law, Cathy. Thank you for
welcoming me into your family. You show me love in your thoughtful gifts and in
your eagerness to help with anything we ask. You have endured the changes that
come with a marriage in the family, being willing to be flexible as I invaded
your home or took Nick to mine on holidays. You’ve welcomed me into your home,
providing food to eat and a place to stay and someone to talk to, even the
times when Nick wasn’t there. You’ve helped take care of me, letting me crash
in your house on visits even when I ended up sick with the stomach flu or
shingles. You’ve shown your love in so many ways, whether by making my favorite
Red Velvet cake balls or hosting a bridal shower and rehearsal dinner in your
home or taking me out for pedicures and girl time. In the short years I’ve
known you, you have shown me how deeply you love those around you. You have
become “mom” to so many more than just the children you gave birth to, simply
because you are willing to love and care for others without restriction,
providing a place to stay or food to eat to those who need it. You are a role
model to me as you hold to your faith through rough times, and your constant
prayers are a continued blessing to Nick and me. I thank you for raising Nick
to be the wonderful, caring, Christian man he is, so that we can now build our
own family based on the example that you have provided. Thank you, Cathy, for
all that you do.
Also, to the grandmothers God gave me. I was blessed to live
nearby both my grandmas, so I was raised by them and got to know them well. My
Grandma Betty is now in heaven, and I miss her and the special times we all had
as a family. My Grandma Mary continues to amaze me in her strength and joy as
she continues to take care of the farm even after my grandpa passed away. I am
thankful to both of them for their faith that kept them going through all the
rough times. I am thankful to them for raising my parents in the church, loving
Jesus, and serving others. I am thankful that they were around for the dance
recitals, the birthdays, the graduations…I was so, so loved. I am thankful for
the grandmothers I received in my marriage to Nick - two more Godly women who
love us and spoil us beyond what we deserve. 
I am thankful to my friends who have children, who show me
just what a blessing being a mom can be. They show me that you can do it
without looking like THAT cliché mom or talking about mom stuff all the time or
being a Pinterest Super Mom. They show me that you can genuinely enjoy
motherhood and that you don’t have to look like a mess or complain about food
stains or sleeplessness all the time. They show me the wonderful impacts that a
mother’s love can have not only on the child, but also on the mother and
father. Thank you, especially to Adrionna and Heidi, because you have, probably
unknowingly, helped me move from being completely terrified of the prospect
motherhood to being excited about that day (someday in the distant
future…don’t read too much into this) that I get to be a mother too.
I am thankful to all the wonderful women in my life who have
or do provide motherly guidance and care. To my Aunt Tami, who gave us a key to
her house so we could just crash any time after school in high school, knowing
the drive home was too long. To my Aunt Nina, who I knew was always just a
phone call away during college, and still lets us stay there on our trips home.
To my dance teacher, Teresa, who taught me not just how to dance, but how to be
kind and loving while being confident and graceful. To Mrs. Neipp, who taught
me to play the piano, and also allowed my little 12-year-old self to babysit
her children. To all my teachers growing up and to my fellow teachers now, who help
provide that guidance because my mom is 2,000 miles away.
I am thankful for the parents of my students, who entrust
their children to me for a short time each day. My kids know that they are just
that, my “kids.” They know that I don’t have any children of my own at home, but
I don’t need any, because I have 6 of them at work. And they know that I will
do anything to protect them, just like their mom and dad would, because I have
been given that gift of caring for them and loving them for a year, and boy, do
I love those kids. I am thankful for all the lessons I have learned in my past
two years of teaching that may someday help a little in my vocation as a mother
to my own kids.
Thank you, God, for the rich blessings You have bestowed.
You have given me much, much more than I deserve.
Mikaela
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