Sunday is Mother’s Day. I won’t get to spend the day with my mom—though I will get to spend the next ten days after that with her. There is going to be some serious shopping (for dresses to wear to my cousin’s wedding in July) and sushi eating one day while I’m there, too. So, since I can’t be there on Mother’s Day, here’s a little tribute to my mom, Judy.

My mother is . . .

. . . beautiful (and she gets it from her mom, Julia, who’s also gorgeous, and after whom Julia Witherington was named)
. . . funny (she can’t tell jokes to save her life, but she’s a great storyteller)
. . . uber-intelligent (I am awed by how much she knows, and her ability to pass along that knowledge)
. . . perseverant (after many delays and bumps in the road, including two kids, she completed her Ph.D. when I was in 3rd Grade)
. . . a wonderful teacher (I should know, I had her for science and math in junior high; she’s now a community college professor who always gets great student reviews)
. . . a wonderful cook (she made sure we were exposed to all kinds of cuisines growing up; she also spent years as the Wednesday-night-supper cook at her church)
. . . a great hostess (a trait I didn’t inherit—she has the ability to make anyone welcome in her home at any time)
. . . understanding (she has the ability to put herself in others’ shoes to see an issue from all angles)
. . . supportive (she and my dad made sure my sister and I knew they wanted us to learn to make our own decisions, to figure out what we wanted to do/be when we grew up—though they did expect us to live up to our potential)
. . . dedicated (over the years, I’ve seen her spend hours with just one student many times, trying to help that student bring up a grade or make it through a class)
. . . stoic (she learned at an early age that she had to take what life threw at her and find some way to live through it—it prepared her to be an Army Wife with two small children, living in Alaska, while trying to cope with depression. We all made it through and are stronger and better people for it.)
. . . creative (she’s always loved hand-crafts, from knitting and crocheting to quilting)
. . . a deacon (yep, my mom’s a deacon—was ordained when we lived in Virginia)
. . . a sign-language interpreter (she served as the head of the deaf ministry in her previous church for many years—yes, the same church for which she cooked!)
. . . a big sister (not just to her five younger siblings, but to anyone who’s crossed her path who needs a big sister/mom figure)
. . . an example (she knows the value of teaching/leading through actions and not just words)
. . . generous (she sees needs and fills them however she can, always with a little unexpected extra)
. . . firm (discipline was strong in our house; we knew that rules were rules and once a decision was made, it was made—no arguing)
. . . someone who loves unconditionally (no matter how much my sister and I screwed up over the years, we always knew we could depend on our parents’ unconditional love)
. . . and . . .

. . . my best friend!

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom!