Day 18 of Gratitude - My Mom

31 Days of Gratitude - In an attempt to publicly express my gratitude for the people that have impacted me in some way in 2015, I'm setting out to write one post a day sharing what I appreciate about them or what moment that marked me. Some of these people I know well, some I've only met, and some I'm just getting to know. There is no ranking to these posts and they aren't meant to put anyone on a pedestal. They, like you and I, are imperfect people with their own flaws, some you may have experienced. Despite those flaws, I believe we all need to have our positive characteristics called into light and celebrated. This is that attempt. 

I recently took Gallup's Strength Finders assessment again in an effort to how my personal/professional strengths have changed or stayed the same. Responsibility, Arranger, Deliberate, Connectedness, and Analytical are my top 5 characteristic strengths based on this assessment. I think I get most of these from my mother. I've seen my mother take responsibility for our family, keep everything organized, make really solid and intentional decisions, be pragmatic about things, and try to find ways to make things better. 

I'm grateful that I had such a driven mother that took care of things. I reflect on growing up and know that we thrived because of her commitment to our family. We didn't have needs, we were always cared for and love, and we grew up knowing that you get out what you put in to things. If I've turned out as a solid man, it's because of the foundation she created in our home and the lessons she's taught me on doing the right thing, taking responsibility, and being generous to others. She continues to work harder than anyone I know and harder than she probably should, but that's the responsibility and deliberative nature coming out, which I can understand and appreciate about her. 

Maybe most importantly, I find that my sense of care for others came from her. I've always seen her help her friends, care for her family members, and do generous things for friends. She's humble about it, not always excited about it, but always willing to step in when needed and do it out of the love she has for those in the situation. This has been my story the past decade as I've chosen a career path that stands in the gap when no one else can or wants to in an effort to take responsibility for the cracks in society. I don't always want to do and would rather walk away most days, but its the responsibility and ultimate love I have for others that motivates me. I've seen that in her and I'm grateful. 

I now see her get to be a grandparent and care for my sister and I's kids. She loves them, cares for them, and attempts to keep up with the active pace of toddlers. We always know that our kids are in good hands with her and dad. 

Love you, mom.