For You Mom

Sometime's it's not until you're all grown up and have a child of you're own how much your mother has done for you. Now that I myself am a mother I appreciate all of the things that my mom's done. Especially the things that I wasn't too happy about at the time.

She sacrificed so much to be my mom. Getting up in the middle of the night, cleaning up my puke on Thanksgiving morning after I got sick all over my bed and the floor. Always trying to get us what we wanted for birthdays and Christmas. Putting up with our shinanigans throughout the teen years.

I was a pretty good kid, but I did take a lot for granted because it was "expected" that I would have these things. As I've grown up and now know the value of a dollar, I know how hard it must have been to pay for all that stuff I wanted or needed. When it was time for braces, I was not a cheap date. I had a narrow upper jaw that needed an appliance to widen it. It really sucked. I felt like such a loser. As if being an awkward 12 year old weren't enough, now they were going to put this big metal thing in my mouth that woul give me a lisp and make me drool till I got used to it.

Then a couple months after the appliance was in, I got braces. I had them for two years. It was so happy the day they came off, I felt like a new person! You know, after that $2,000 braces cost, you have retainers. Well after all that inconvenience with the appliance and braces, why the hell would I want to have the retainer? I only had to have the appliance for six months. For the past year and a half I'd been living drool and lisp free. I wasn't going to give that up NOW! I was going to be in high school after all.

Slowly but surely my teeth started shifting back. I still have a nice smile but my bottom teeth are a little smooshed back together. After all that work- leaving work early for appointments, paying all that money for my braces- I threw it out in just a couple months. I'd say my teeth only hold about 75% of the value my mom invested in them. I always look in the mirror and think about how I should have just worn that stupid retainer! My mom reminds me too. Not so much anymore, but I used to get it everytime I smiled!

Every time I see someone with jacked up teeth, I send my mom a little message of appreciation telling her thank you for my braces. I hated them and thought I was such a huge dork because of them, but in the long run, I have a beautiful smile and no more buck teeth!

For all the times you made me ride my bike to work, wear last year's clothes to school, fried fish so I would smell like perch for a week, I thank you mom. Everything you have done for me made me who I am today.