Connie Langston – MY Mother

This week, in celebration of mothers, I’ve selected a myriad of women of all different places, personalities, lifestyles, and motherhood and have asked them to share their perspective on being a mom.

Have you ever met a woman who doesn’t sit for periods longer than what it takes to eat a meal?  Even during a family movie at home, she’s folding clothes, or baking cookies, or saving Tibet.  Someone who is constantly DOING something? And always for somebody else? Someone who is able to take any spoken phrase and turn it into a song?  Someone who is so used to making army-sized meals that even when the kids have all moved out of the house, she still invites them back to eat? (because she made too much food for just her, her husband and Henry GrayCat). Someone who raised 8 “active” children as a stay-at-home mom, and was still able to help make ends meet by finding jobs at home (like ironing, painting doormats, and managing a newspaper route)?  Someone who spends her (well-deserved) “free time” babysitting grandchildren and attending grandchildren’s soccer games, dance recitals and supporting their lemonade stands.  Someone who manages to stay on top of the lives of 8 kids and finds time to check in on a regular basis with each one of them?  If you have, then you’ve met my mom! I left the “most influential mother” of my features as the last.   Yes,  it is my own mother but hey, it’s MY blog!

How long have you been a mother?
I became a mother almost 37 years ago!  I cheated a bit and gave birth to two beautiful daughters.  That was an eye-opener!  It’s a good thing I was so naive because I didn’t realize how hard taking care of two was, until the next ONE came along.

How does your “motherhood” compare to how your mom raised you?
I find myself saying and doing the very things that bugged me when my own sweet Mom said and did those things.  When I was in my mid twenties, I couldn’t believe how wise my Mother became!  She gets smarter and more wise with each year.

What is your most embarrassing moment being a mom?
Oh my goodness!  Do I dare say?  OK, here goes.  When Camille was 2 years old, she was sitting in the shopping cart with her twin sister as we maneuvered our way to the check-out line of the grocery store.  A black woman with her adorable baby was right in front of us.  Camille said, in a loud 2-year-old voice, while pointing at the baby, “Look Mom!  A Monkey!”  I pretended I had forgotten something and left the line. Another time, Dan, who was 5 years old, answered the door when our new home teacher, who happened to be vertically challenged,  knocked.  Dan let him in and announced, “Mom, a little man is at our door!” There was an APB out on Dan and Dave because Dave was brandishing a toy gun in the back seat of Dan’s car.  It looked like a real gun and was reported.  Another time…

If you had a “day off” – how would you spend it?
When I have a “day off” I’m usually spending it with my grand kids!  However, it’s also nice to just do nothing…if I want.

What is your staple that gets you through the day? Music and singing.  I think it helped me keep my sanity and drove my kids INSANE!

What would you TRULY want as a Mother’s Day gift?
I just want EVERYONE to get along…TRULY!!

What has been the biggest shock in being a mom? – something you weren’t prepared to deal with?
How much LOVE one can have for another human being and how much it HURTS when my children hurt!

What is the most rewarding aspect of being a mom?
When the children were younger, it was rewarding just getting through each day!  Now, I am amazed at the responsible, lovely people my children have become. I am impressed with how they step up and support each other during times of trial and yet tease one another and have fun together.  They’re my friends and my confidants.  My children make me SMILE!

Tagged as: blogging friends, Connie Langston, joys of motherhood, Mother's Day, my mom