Friday, February 6, 2009

In A Different Light

I recently experienced one of those rare times when a mother can see her daughter as a fully matured, adult person completely separate from the child she birthed, nurtured and watched grow up. As I viewed my daughter in this different light, I felt impressed and extremely pleased. She's a woman that I am so very proud of, and it has nothing to do with what I may have taught her or values I tried to impart.

There's no way that she's a carbon copy of me, nor would I want her to be. (That would only mean double the work I'd still have to do in order to insure we would someday [sigh] both grow into the person I'd like us to be.) Nope, she's very much her own person with her up-beat personality, warmth, and whacky sense of humor that charms both males and females, adults and children.

She's physically beautiful. (Where DID she come from??) From the time she was a teenager, people suggested she go into modeling. She may have felt complimented but didn't give the idea serious thought because she's never had the time for that kind of beauty.

What do I admire most about her? No doubt about it. Her strength. There's an inner band of steel running through her core that enables her to remain upright when others, I for one, would be a quivering puddle of jello seeping through the floor boards. She can do anything she puts her mind to. While being incredibly talented artistically, she also can figure out and understand the workings of a solar energy system and how to maintain it. She'll tackle and master anything she deems worthy.

And, oh yeah, she's physically strong, too. (I fully realized that a couple of years ago when I had to concede to the fact that I could no longer best her at arm wrestling.) Plowing the four mile long winter driveway, hauling buckets of water, stoking the outdoor wood furnace boiler, slinging around seventy pounds sacks of feed, no wimp this female.

So, my hat's off to you, Dear Daughter. In any light, you're a fine specimen of womanhood. It's no wonder so many people love you, look up to you and like to be around you. You have my admiration, love, and support in all you so ably attempt to do. You impress the heck out of me.



8 comments:

fiona@fionacampbell.ca said...

I knew when I read the first line of your post that it would bring me to tears... and you didn't disappoint. From what little I know of you, she's come from great stock (and don't you forgot it!) Thanks for sharing with the world this lovely, lovely glimpse of your daughter.

Mama Pea said...

Fiona - First off, thank you, thank you for your kind (but I'm not sure how deserved) words.

Secondly, I must surely have been half a bubble off when I wrote the post because I just know that now whenever she does something that irks me, she'll whip a copy of the post out of her pocket and say with that devilish gleam in her eye, "But Mama, you know I'm perfect! Look, you wrote it for everyone to see right here!"

What have I done?

RuthieJ said...

What a special Mama Pea you are to write this wonderful post about your favorite daughter!

Mama Pea said...

Well, thanks, Ruthie, but there's nothing special about me . . . it's all her. She has so many attributes I wish I had. But I'm still a work in progress so maybe I'll get there! ;o)

Chicken Mama said...

Finally having composed myself from the sobbing induced by my mama's post, I have to point out to you folks what you don't know: she's actually writing her blog from a sanitarium. She's off her rocker. Nuts. Cuckoo. Doesn't know what she's talking about. It's as simple as that! ;)

P.S. What she seems to see in me (?!) has EVERYTHING "to do with what I may have taught her or values I tried to impart".

And, Mama Pea's comment that "I for one, would be a quivering puddle of jello seeping through the floor boards"? Pure baloney. She's hard as nails when the situation calls for it. They didn't call her 'Dragon Lady' at the restaurant we owned for nuthin'! ;)

Finally? I love you, Mama.

MaineCelt said...

Aww, Chicken Mama, You're just prevaricatin', you are. My new goal is to be BOTH of you when I grow up... or maybe to have a wee bairn of my own and raise her up right, so we can both become the kind of cool Farmin' Bloggin' Women y'all are.

Beautiful post, Mama Pea.

Mama Pea said...

MaineCelt - Oh, fer Pete's sake! Now you've made ME cry. When you do have a wee one, there's no doubt she/he will be 'raised up right' experiencing life as it should be on your beautiful, self-sufficient farm/homestead.

Sniffle-snuffle. Oh damn, now I've gone and ruined my perfect eye make-up!

Mama Pea said...
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