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This year is the 100th celebration of Mother's Day. Mother's Day was first recognized as a National Holiday in 1914 after a woman in West Virginia held a memorial for her mother in 1908. She then set out to make it a day celebrated by everyone to honor their mothers.
This holiday had really never been celebrated in my family much. We know how much we love our mother and she is always there for us. But there was a time 6 years ago when it really it me on how much I needed my mother. It was my senior year in high school. It was my last year in track and field and I had a big goal of beating the 10 year old 300 meter intermediate hurdles record. I was so close but so far away. I was also feeling what I thought were the effects of the season. I had lost 10 lbs. off my 110 lbs. body and was constantly thirsty and going to the bathroom.
I told my parents this and not long after, my mom took me to the hospital and I was then diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. I had no idea what that meant. All I wanted to do was graduate from High School and beat that hurdle record. I was terrified but my mom helped me brush it off with humor. She was there during my stay when they had to take my blood every hour on the hour for 9 hours, out of the same arm. She tried to coax me into sleeping. She helped me get over my fear of giving myself insulin injections. When I went home, being a medical transcriptionist she helped me look up stuff about diabetes and how it would effect my life going forward. She knew everything would be just fine and I would get through this.
She was always there for me and still has been. I went off to college in Milwaukee but came back and graduated from UW-Platteville. I would call her up and ask questions about if I was doing things right. I don't think I could have gotten through it without my mom telling me I was going to be just fine. My mom was constantly telling me I was great and I could do it. She didn't think anything could keep me from my goal. She still says mushy stuff like that to me today. I did end up beating that record by .4 seconds with all the support from my parents being there at the finish line to catch me as I fell.
So this Mother's Day, go out and buy those flowers and celebrate with me. Happy Mother's Day!