Saturday, May 13, 2006

A Pretty Cool Mom - My Sister

When I think of all the moms who inspire me, the first that comes to mind (other than my own mother of course) is my sister.
Becky is two years older than me and my complete opposite.
When we were growing up we were never the sisters who argued over who got the pink dress and who got the blue one because we never chose the same thing. We argued over a lot of stuff, just not over the same things.
When we grew up we were very close but very different. We had many of the same friends, but the people who went to me for encouragement and enthusiasm went to my sister for a listening ear. I would be the person to start singing karaoke and she'd be the one dancing in the audience. In highschool she'd illustrate my stories while I'd edit her art history project. We later studied Journalism and Interior Design at the same university.
It should come as no surprise that our parenting styles are completely different.
My sister is a suburban mom. Both of her daughters were very much planned. Becky's life is an exercise in order. Her house is always clean, her girls are always clean and they are really very quiet. She invents games with them and takes them on discovery walks where they make up stories.
Her kids are good. They are the children that teenagers want to babysit and who delight the seniors when we visit our grandma.
Becky has more patience than I could ever imagine having. She doesn't get angry or shout at her children. She pretty much just lets it roll off her.
I am her complete opposite. My son was a surprise, and there never was calm in our house. we live in Toronto and he is in daycare. I wish my house were cleaner, Matthew gets dirty in abot 2 seconds and he is most definitely not quiet. We take Matt to visit my Grandma after a dose of Motrin (for teething of course) or when he is in an unusually subdued mood. Even then he seems to do some crazy thing to disrupt the order at the seniors complex.
I couldn't love my sister or her children more. Becky is my best friend and my inspiration. She is the mom I wish I could be but know I am not. And, the best thing about her is that she loves me for who I am.
When I told her I wanted to go to work because staying at home was too much for me she babysat Matt while I went to interviews. She encouraged me and reminded me that I was doing the right thing.
She has listened and been there for me more than most people could ever be. She is the person I can call when I need to cry - the person I can tell anything to no questions asked - the person who knows that if I call excited about something to just pretend it is the coolest thing she has ever heard (and she gets these phone calls at least twice a week).
She deserves the happiest Mother's Day ever!!!

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