Happy Birthday Mom

Today is my mother’s birthday!

Happy Birthday Elizabeth Crabtree !!!

There are so many ways that you have influenced me to become a better person

So many times that you led by example

Showing me the importance of involvement, family, love, and care

You always made the effort to be involved in our lives

Chaperoning on field trips

Being a guest reader in class (I still remember how excited I was for that in 2nd grade)

Carpooling us to school

Volunteering at field day

Visiting me while in college

When we are younger, we take a lot of our parent’s actions for granted

We don’t understand the time, effort, and patience in involved

How much intention was put into “showing-up” behind the scenes

My Mom’s involvement is something I hope to carry on when I have a family of my own

This past weekend, I was able to see you interact with your own parents

The patience, grace, and understanding you showed are admirable

You continue to lead by example

I am one of five siblings, with only a 10-year gap between us

So one can imagine that our house was at times a bit chaotic

Getting that many kids in one place was a challenge

Yet, I remember the importance you stressed about having Family Dinners

They weren’t always feasible throughout the week

But I give you and Dad much credit

Just about every Sunday, we would all be together at the dinner table

I can’t imagine traveling with 5 children, but somehow you did it

You made sure that the whole family had vacations and trips planned each summer

From going to visit grandparents, to weekends at the beach

I don’t know how you and Dad did it (an often-repeated chorus)

But you got 5 kids into the same red Ford Expedition (or the later White Yukon!)

Surviving 10-hour car rides

Through airport security many times

Without losing any of us

I will always be grateful for the effort you made to take us on adventures

I now realize that the holiday decorations do not magically put themselves up

My Mom always did such a good job celebrating each occasion with our family

Every child would have their own Valentine’s day candy basket (despite the sugar highs that followed)

She would make sure everyone’s Halloween custom fit just right

The Christmas lights were always up ahead of time

Birthdays were (and are) so special because of my mother

And sadly, it can be far too easy to take this all for granted

Moving away, you see many of the things you remember were the result of someone’s effort

The older I get, the more I appreciate the childhood my Mom shaped

How often do we realize, now as adults, that our parents were right?!

More frequently than any teenager would believe

A few of my Mom’s phrases still stick with me today

With a lot more meaning than I gave them growing up!

Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you have to

This advice seemed both obvious and silly in high school, but the older I get, the more meaning it has

I believe we can be let the excitement of capability or access overshadow the consequences of our actions

Yes, you can stay out all night

Yes, you can eat as much as you want

Yes, you can spend hours on your phone

Yes, you can get away with showing up to a meeting half-prepared

But just because you can, doesn’t mean you have to

I continue to remind myself of this advice to this day

If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all

Sometimes this one is hard to follow

We feel so entitled to our opinions, and at times it is hard not to share them

But how often do we wind up saying something that is in no way constructive?

Wouldn’t it be better to ask ourselves internally “what am I really trying to achieve by saying this?”

It seems like now, more than ever, we are quick to point out what we don’t like

About a situation, about a person, about a place

Perhaps, a little self-reflection may lead to finding something nice to say

If you want to say something, make an effort to look for the good!

Use good judgement (I give both parents due credit for this one)

So simple, yet so applicable

How often are we tempted to follow the crowd rather than make our own decisions?

Act on social pressures rather than use our own judgement

I remember thinking “What do they really mean by that?”

Now, I feel like I know

I still hear this in the back of my mind when going somewhere new

Use good judgement Jack!

You are a great writer

One of the biggest reasons for my confidence!

My Mom has reminded me of this since early high school

If no one else enjoys these articles I know my Mom does! :)

My mother is not only a great Mom but a great person

I am very proud as I continue to watch her grow, leading by example

But more important than what she has done

Is who she is

The little things are the big things in relationships

And despite having her attention pulled 5 ways, she focused on the little things

The little things are the big things in relationships

And despite having her attention pulled 5 ways, she focused on the little things

I don’t know how many different shoe-stores we visited in 4th grade in search of blue-swoosh air-force-ones, but my Mom was willing to keep looking

Quizzing me before my middle school vocabulary tests

Sending care packages while I was in college

The more I think, the more comes to mind

Happy Birthday Mom!

Thank you for being the person you are

I am blessed beyond belief to have you as a mother, friend, and mentor

Love, Jack