Mother's Day

I never need a day to celebrate my Mom. We have always been super close. I'm both a "daddy's girl" AND a "Momma's Girl." Thank the Lord I've never had to choose one way over the other. My mom was 20 when I was born. She laughs and tells people we grew up together. Which we totally did...which means my childhood was wonderful. She started cosmetology school the same day I started Kindergarten. She would take me to school with her and let me color in my Barbie coloring books at a manicure station while she worked. She once used me as a "model" for a test. She spiral-permed my hair that was down TO MY WAIST. It took like, 4 hours but I was a trooper. Loved getting the beauty treatment but more so, I loved the attention! Mom was so girly and loved that I was too. There wasn't a sequin, sparkle or ribbon that was wasted on me. I started doing pageants when I was 3 and loved more than anything when she would do my makeup and tell me I was "doing better than the big girls." They all sputtered and blinked when she'd do their mascara. But not me. I loved every second of it. Even shining my white patent-leather shoes with 409 and a paper towel! Ha! I so loved seeing her beaming in the audience pushing the corners of her mouth up with her fingers reminding me to smile or seeing her mouth every word to my song during talent. A girl's biggest cheerleader for sure.

If she wasn't helping me with some beauty treatment (yellow and pink sponge rollers come to mind...) she was talking about the Lord (to me at 2 years old: "Erica, do you want the Holy Spirit? Do you want Jesus in your heart?") or reading me a Bible story. My favorite was Daniel. She always says that before she could ever get to the end I would interrupt her, grinning from ear to ear, so excited to say "But the Lions did not HURT Daniel!!!" Even then I was in awe of God's grace and provision. A trait I'm most proud of and one that I undoubtedly owe to her.

There are a million stories I could tell about her. Sweet ones, funny ones. Like the time I sprained my ankle and she took me home before we went to the hospital so she could change clothes because she said "you get treated better at the hospital if you look nice." So she came to the car in a **BEDAZZLED** sweater with a gi-normous beaded butterfly on the front and her best Estee Lauder make up on. So hilarious. There are way too many to tell. So although I don't need "Mother's Day" to know how blessed I am it does make me appreciate her in a completely different way now. Because in 20 years or so when I am being celebrated on Mother's Day, I pray that Abigail Mackenzie thinks half of me what I think of my gorgeous, Godly, determined, tender-hearted, loyal, totally wonderful mother. I wanna be like you when I grow up!

I love you Mom. You really are my best friend. Hey gir-fren...Wanna go shoppin'?