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Being a mother has been the hardest thing I have ever done, but it's worth it

Last year in a flurry of late nights, my daughter and I both read the Hunger Games Trilogy, a set of three books that describes a 16-year-old teenager’s experience in a post-apocalyptic world.

Last year in a flurry of late nights, my daughter and I both read the Hunger Games Trilogy, a set of three books that describes a 16-year-old teenager’s experience in a post-apocalyptic world.

Breakfast for a couple of weeks was filled with questions like “Did you get to the part where Katniss volunteers for the games in place of her sister?” or “What did you think about Katniss’ new house?” or “Who would you pick, Gale or Peta?”

The books provided a bond and we both planned to be amongst the first to see the film in theatres.

What was to have been a mother-daughter outing was cancelled because of some bad timing, namely, her birthday celebration. Back in March, my daughter turned 15. To celebrate the event, she and a group of friends went to see The Hunger Games.

I am well aware that teenagers are more interested in their friends than their mothers, so I didn’t take it personally when I wasn’t invited.

However, when the teens came back to our house for cake and ice cream, I was a little saddened by their description of the movie. They seemed to have had so much fun and I wished I could have experienced it along with my daughter.

A week later, we headed to Maui, Hawaii for two glorious weeks during which our family spent all of our time together shopping, at the beach, touring and eating at restaurants. It was a wonderful occasion for the whole family to reconnect.

My daughter and I spent many hours reading on the beach or walking, talking about all manner of things, from school and work to our favourite shops. We talked about friends, situations at school and our favourite memories.

She opened up and shared things we hadn’t previously talked about: her hopes and dreams, her fears and yes, even boys.

I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her in a new way. I developed a new awareness about how quickly she is growing up and was completely impressed with the kind of person she is becoming.

We arrived home at the beginning of April and things went back to normal. She dove back into her regular routine of competitive swimming, school and spending time with friends. I was busy at work and we didn’t seem to be able to maintain the newly achieved level of communication.

Once again back in reality, I didn’t take it personally that she wasn’t sharing as much information as she had in Maui. After all, I was busy too.

One Friday night while watching television, we saw a preview for The Hunger Games. I mentioned that I would still like to see it, but I didn’t have anyone to go with.

It didn’t surprise me when she said, “Mom, I would go with you again.” But it did surprise me how excited she was about it. She made sure she looked up all the possible times and locations that the movie was playing and suggested which would be best for me.

We settled on a Saturday night. Overwhelmed with a number of errands and chores around the house I had to accomplish, I asked for help.

She willingly gave it, tending to the vacuuming, tidying and laundry.

It was in a relaxed mood that we headed out, chatting and visiting all the while. She was so excited for me, talking about particular sections of the movie that I couldn’t help loving.

The evening went off without a hitch. We ate popcorn, she laughed when I jumped during a surprising scene and she hooked her arm through mine as we headed for the car.

The next morning, she gave me a hug, putting her head on my shoulder in a gesture of affection.

Prior to the Mother’s Day weekend, she went out of the province for a swim meet.

The rest of the family headed off to the farm to spend time with my dad. It was a little lonely without her.

But bright and early on Mother’s Day, she called to wish me a happy day and to tell me she missed me.

It was later that evening that her dad picked my daughter up at the airport. She came in with her cheery “Hi mom.” She then brought me a gift, a box of delicious chocolates from Victoria.

It was the first Mother’s Day that she had bought me a gift with her own money and it was touching. As usual, I found myself tearing up at yet another “first.”

Over the years, there have been many challenging moments with both of my children. Sleepless nights, worry, endless housework and problem solving have been my lot for the past 15 years.

Yet the truly wonderful moments have far outweighed those difficult ones, making being a mother my greatest achievement thus far.

If you are a mother, I hope you also enjoyed a wonderful Mother’s Day.


Airdrie Today Staff

About the Author: Airdrie Today Staff

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