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Mellow Mom
Patsy Meyer, California USA
From Amazing Moms: Parents of the 21st Century Copyright © 2018 Motivational Press. Reprinted with permission. By Hogan Hilling and Elise Cohen Ho.
Amazing Moms: Parents of the 21st Century is the 1st coffee table book to feature moms. It features 115 amazing moms from a variety of family dynamics and 13 countries – USA, Canada, Australia, England, Netherlands, France, Italy, China, Hungary, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Mozambique, and Croatia. It is filled with captivating self-portraits that reveal each mom’s unique personality and joyful photos of their families. The moms bear their souls about the challenges and joys of motherhood and share a wealth of wisdom about their parenting journeys. These moms represent motherhood and femininity at its best. Amazing Moms is the companion coffee table book to DADLY Dads.
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Before I became the primary caregiver for our family, I worked in Men’s Jail Records. Gerry and I enjoy telling people that we met in jail. I enjoyed my life as the primary caregiver. I also volunteered as a room mom, team mom, scout leader and I sewed or altered costumes for events like school plays and dance recitals. I enjoy hiking, boulder hopping, kayaking, reading, knitting and doing a bit of home improvement. And visiting grandchildren!
Quote.
This, too, shall pass. – Unknown
What I do well as a mom.
I do a good job of not sweating the small stuff and following through with consequences. I also do a good job of making my children feel comfortable to discuss their problems with me and allow them to make their own choices in life. I texted this question to our three kids. Our younger son, who towers over his 5’1” mother, was the only one who replied. He said, “You did a good job making me afraid of you.” I’m pretty sure he was kidding.
What I learned from another mom.
It’s a good idea to listen to your kids’ conversations when they think you aren’t paying attention.
Lesson learned from my child.
Our daughter once said to me, “Sometimes I just need you to say, Poor baby.” I realized I don’t need to hop in and try to fix everything right away. Or tell them how to fix it.
Successful motherhood moment.
When our older son was a freshman in high school, he was nominated for Freshman King. He called me from the pay phone at school and said, “Mom! Get me out of here! They’re going to make us sing and dance at lunch! Tell them I have a dentist appointment or something!” So I did. We went out to lunch and had a very nice time.
Mom I admire.
My mom, Jane. I admire the way she was a friend to me as well as a parent, her gentle guidance and patience; the way she managed the household; and words of encouragement she expressed to my brothers and me. I also enjoyed her company because she and I shared an interest in music. She also taught me many enjoyable crafting skills like knitting, sewing and painting furniture, which we often did together.
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Originally published in Amazing Moms: Parents of the 21st Century Copyright © 2018 Motivational Press. Reprinted with permission.
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Photos courtesy of the author.
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