Throughout all the years of my (and his) life, I never heard my father speak an unkind word about or toward his mother, my Oma.
This sentiment applies as well to my mother. Not once have I ever heard her speak an unkind word about or toward my grandmother.
In saying this, it’s not that there were never disagreements, there were.
But the response was always thoughtful and respectful.
I would love to tell you I absorbed all of that when it came to my own mother, but that’s not entirely true. I did have times when I was unkind and didn’t act with the respect I should have.
I grew out of that.
Watching my mother as she became a grandmother was also inspiring.
The last seven years (if we include time during pregnancy) of Marissa’s life have been where I think she has changed the most, as a mother herself.
We do our best to raise Sebastian in ways that when he thinks of or speaks to his mother, it’s with respect. (It’s a work in progress, I’m sure you understand).
The day before Mother’s Day, Sebastian asked Marissa if he would be receiving any gifts for the holiday.
I said: Sebastian, the woman in front of you is your gift. The best gift.
I look around me and I am surrounded by strong, capable, inspiring women: my wife, my mother, my grandmother, my mother-in-law, and all of the mothers who come to train at RevFit (online and face-to-face).
I remember my Oma fondly as she embodied these characteristics as well.
I pay tribute to my Aunt Virginia, who passed away peacefully just last week, only days before Mother’s Day. My sincerest condolences go to my Uncle Brian and my cousins Mary and Joey not just for the loss but because of how close it falls to this holiday. If there’s one thing I knew about my aunt, she dearly loved her family.
I’ll leave you with this:
If you’re a mom, I hope that Mother’s Day was a special day for you.
If you have a great mother, I hope you had a way to celebrate the holiday with her.
If your mother is no longer with us, I hope you did something beautiful and loving in remembrance of her.
If your mother was not the person who you hoped she would be, I hope that it serves as inspiration for you to do and be better.
Whether you are a mother to one or several, or you have fur babies who can call you their own, I hope the day was a great day for you.
As for me, it’s an endless show of respect for the women who make my life what it is today.
