My Mom’s Not a Regular Mom, She’s a Cool Mom & So Much More

Today is Mother’s Day, a day we recognize all the amazing women who have raised us and shaped us into who we are today. This day grows more and more significant for me each year because I became a mother myself a little over a year ago. Not because I get my own day of recognition but because I understand more and more the challenges and self-sacrifices mothers make for their children and therefore become more and more in awe of my mom.

My mom moved in with my husband, Donald, and I when Diedric was born to help care for him when we went back to work. We would save a lot of money by not having to pay for childcare and my mom was very eager to start her role as grandma, so it seemed like a win-win for both! She was a great help while we were on maternity/paternity leave by taking care of the daily household chores so we could enjoy more time with Diedric. But, it wasn’t until I went back to work that I witnessed how truly amazing my mom is. The only task she’s expected to do is care for Diedric when I’m at work but somehow she manages to take care of Donald and I on top of that. Not only does she do an outstanding job of providing for Diedric but all in the same day she manages to clean our house, clean up after us, do everyone’s laundry, take out the trash, go grocery shopping, water the plants, make all our meals (legit meals too, homemade pho is a regular occurrence), pack my lunch for work (not complaining here!), and still have time to keep up to date on her Vietnamese soap operas! How she has the energy to do all that is incredible and is worthy of Supermom and Supergrandma status.

I can’t put into words how fortunate and gracious I am to have a mom that does so much purely out of the love she has for me. I can literally feel it just thinking about it! As a new mom who also works full time I am very familiar with the pressures society places on us from the get go. In order to be outstanding a woman should go back to work after just 6-8 weeks of giving birth while breastfeeding till their baby is at least 1 years old. On top of that find time to lose all the baby weight and come back more fit than before. All the while finding time to keep the house organized and make healthy meals from scratch but also have time and money to “date your husband,” have a hobby, and be social with friends. This post further highlights the ridiculousness and goes more in depth to why we need to lighten up! Mothers often forget that what ultimately matters is showing up and doing their best. Which is why I’m so grateful to have my mom around to help out. It takes away a lot of the pressure.

A lot of people can’t stand to live with their mom and a lot of husbands would never even entertain the idea of living with their mother-in-law but we are lucky to have a mom who gives us our space and just wants to make our life better. I’d say Donald was more eager to have my mom come live with us than I was! She’s the epitome of self-sacrificing; she moved across the ocean away from her husband, family, and friends to care for her grandson! What she does is beyond what I am capable of and I admire her so much for that. I aspire to be a little more like her in the future but I don’t feel inadequate or feel bad for not being able to accomplish so much. I know we’re different and she’s taught me that there’s no ‘right’ way to be a mom. She’s also great because she doesn’t judge me for not being like her and tells me how great of a mom I am and actually believes it. She encourages me be to be a better mom for Diedric by showing how much she loves me and my son. That’s the kind of mom I aspire to be; one who sets a good example for their children and loves them so hard.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mom’s out there! You are doing so great. Remember, you are enough.

Happy Mother’s Day to you, mom! I love you and am grateful beyond words for everything you do.

xo, Jenn