Mom.

We all knew this post was coming, but I especially mean it today.

November 12: (P.S. it's 11/12/13, guys! How cool is that?) I am grateful for the woman I get to call Mom. 

This was the Mother's Day tribute I made for her this year. (:

Unlike some of my friends growing up, my mom and I haven't always been friends. We've never had that great mother-daughter relationship. We didn't dedicate some of our Saturdays to mommy-daughter days. We didn't wear each other's clothes (partially because I've always been bigger than my mom - I was blessed with my dad's body structure, unfortunately). We did not get along most of the time. I never was deemed "Mommy's Little Angel." In fact, there was a lot of times in junior high and high school that I didn't like my mom one little bit. She was "mean" to me, we were always yelling at each other, she wanted things to be her way or it was the highway, blah, blah, blah, blah. I told myself all the time growing up that I did NOT want to end up like my mother, so much so that I punched a kid right in the face in 6th grade because he kept calling me Tina. I have the scar to prove it. ;)

Mom and I, my junior year of high school

My senior year, our relationship started to get a lot better. When I graduated and got out of the house, I found that mine and my mom's relationship has gotten 85% better. I could call and talk to my mom for hours about school, work, things that were troubling me, boys and she would listen and give good advice. This wasn't something that we did when I was in high school, because I didn't want to talk to her about my problems and think I was immature or stupid. I was really, really good at keeping my parents out of my love life.

My oh my, how things have changed. My relationship with my mom is 100% better than what I ever thought it could be. Yes, we still get snappy and snarky with each other sometimes, but that's because we are so much the same. Mom and I are two peas in a pod, even though I'm definitely the bigger pea. I've been out of the house for four years now and my mom has been one of the biggest blessings in my life, especially now that I'm married. Our wedding would not have happened without my mom's help. She jumped right in and helped me with bridesmaid outfits, reception decor, picking out the perfect dress... everything had my mom's helping hand behind it. She wasn't pushy about it either like I thought she would be. Some of my friends who have gotten married told me horror stories about their mother and mother-in-law trying to take over the wedding. That's what I was prepared for my mom to be like, because she tends to have a very dominant and controlling personality (like me). Instead my mom helped me plan my dream wedding. She loves my husband and puts up with his sometimes absentmindlessness. She lets me call her daily to ask her questions about cooking, because I refused to learn to cook growing up. Sometimes the stove still scares me, but Mom is helping me from 300 miles away be a good cook. Mom taught me how to work hard and take shit from no-one, and that's one of the main reasons why I've had such success in my life. I know that when I start having our children, my mom is going to be such a great support system because she's already been through it.

Always nose to nose on a lot of things.

For probably the first time in my life, I'm okay with growing up to be exactly like my mom. Everyone told me that as soon as I got out of the house, or even when I got married that my mom would become one of my best friends. I didn't believe them then, but I believe them now. I'm grateful for all of our ups and our downs, long phone conversations, and everything in between. Mom is a loving, supportive wife, a great mother, a friend to many, and goes above and beyond what she needs to do in life. My mom gave me a lot of opportunities as a child that other kids didn't have. Sure, my mom has an attitude bigger than the country of Russia and a temper that can flare easily, and sometimes she can be really intimidating to strangers. But if I can be half the woman my mom is, then that's fine by me. Love you, Mom.