Woman of God

When I was younger, I didn't see it. I was so convinced that I was just like my dad, a loud extrovert, bossy, friendly, fun. It wasn't until late into high school, and early into college that I started to recognize why I would get so touchy with people at social settings- I needed a break from them. I was not the extrovert I had always thought I was, I loved my alone time, and as a friend obsessed with the Meyers-Briggs test pointed out, I would rather read a good book than go to a good party.

Mom and my younger sister, Ginna.

When I was younger, I didn't see it, how alike my mother and I truly are. She is such a strong, opinionated woman in her quiet, respectful ways. She likes to spend time at home, with her family, and her best friend (my dad). She leads a prayerful life behind closed doors, in the innermost room, making sure the left hand does not see what the right is doing.

When I was younger, I didn't see how God-fearing my mother was, how much her Catholic faith meant to her. Church was just another thing on the list of Sunday chores to me, alongside mowing the lawn, doing the dishes, and cleaning my room. But looking back, recalling what she looked like in church, I now realize how much she loved church.

The majority of my preteen and teen years were spent battling it out with mom, I wanted to my own person, and that person did not always agree with the vision she had for her daughter. But piece by piece, as I've grown up away from her, more of those little messages she had given me. She gave me so much to keep in mind as grew, and thankfully, it stuck eventually.

To dress modestly. To say the rosary to help you fall asleep when you can't at night. Church. The power of prayer. To be a servant, rather than just leader. To be giving.

Today is my mom's birthday, and I always struggle with what to say and how to celebrate it. She's a modest woman, one who does not like a lot of attention, or a big fuss over. So I hope that what my family has come up with will fit her tastes this year. Because our family would be nothing without her firm guidance, and love.

I love you Mom.


Totus Tuus,

LeAnn