It’s Wednesday, July 29, 2020; a typical humid South Dakota morning. While I stare out my window over a cup of Hawaiian coffee, I’m wondering what’s next. What’s for lunch? When’s my next vacation? When is my mother going to call me back? Today isn’t Mother’s Day but it is my mother’s day. Because today, LoriKat turns another year older! My mom is historically the first to review my blog, the first to post my blog and the first to praise, even if it’s trash. So bear with me.
You gave me breath into this world and bandaged my knees during every trampoline or bicycle accident (Right, Brady? HBD to you too!). You craft a birthday cake to match my personality each year. When I was younger, you broke open my nightly medicine crushed into vanilla pudding because I refused to swallow the pill. You ran into town for 7UP on days when I wasn't feeling 100%. These are all actions I thank you for, but that just isn’t enough. You’ve taught your children several life lessons over the years, and I want to praise you for 3 valuable traits you’ve passed along to me.
Attitude Is Everything
“Speak what you seek until you see what you say.” Originally, pulled from a Pat & JT podcast, but I think it’s a vision we share. My mom is determined. She’s crafting a coffee bar that weighs a ton, still moves it by herself. She saw something neat on Pinterest, her mentality is to light up the table saw. Pop off something underneath the car hood? “We’ll I’m sure there’s a YouTube video for that.” I don’t have near as much determination as the postal employee for the last 27 years, but my half-siblings do which only proves where it came from. However, I do have a tendency to exercise my point until it’s exhausted and I think there’s a silver lining routing towards determination.
My sister travels to work leaving her kiddos behind, my brother lives two time zones away and I moved to a big city all by my lonesome. Fellow girls feel my horror through the screen. We wouldn’t trust ourselves to accomplish these tasks without our mother’s support and adventure. I believe that we all know the road home and that the door is always open (at least, where the spare key is hidden). Mom, thank you for listening to my bad decisions, allowing me to learn from mistakes but still pick up the pieces when I realize you were right. Thank you for teaching me to call the mechanic, to stand up for my beliefs and love unconditionally. I think my high school classmates would agree, that I have an angle of your personality. Too soon, Terrance & Austin?
Character In The Kitchen
My college roomate and cousin's girlfriend, Kristin, laughs at family functions. The Tollivers have a tendency to celebrate through our stomach; ribs, brisket, bacon asparagus, and anything Grandma finds in the freezer. I mentioned Kristin’s laughter because we do it big, everyone. It can be ridiculous. I think we all have our way around the kitchen (boyfriend applications can be picked up at the front office) but I’ve been gifted with a baker- my waistline has not. High school friends, college friends, family, all ask about mom’s cakes, mom’s zucchini bars, mom’s frosting. I’m lucky enough for her to sit down on a Saturday teaching frosted roses, or dip my fingers into the mixing bowl. Thank you for showing me substitutes, for adding our own flare and experimenting in the kitchen.
Fold Your Hands, Bow Your Head
Heaven doesn’t seem so far away to me. I have my mother and some influential people in my life to thank for that. She tells me stories of those who are no longer among the living and sits in the pew next to me on Sunday morning. We bow our heads to pray and tear up in the same verse. She hands me a Kleenex and we wipe our eyes, because truly we don’t live two separate lives. You gave me courage to sit alone and worship the Lord, or pray every night in the comfort of my own home.
Thank you for the laughter and guidance through the years. Even though I’m 24, that doesn’t stop here. I hope you have a wonderful day with your best friend, sitting poolside, sipping sangria.
Love your favorite,
Becca
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