{Had My Back Before I Had My Own}

This beauty is my mother. I have been thinking about her lately and about how darn lucky I am that she is mine. As you all I'm sure are aware, unless you live under a rock in the forest somewhere that the holidays have just passed us by and I had the good fortune to be able to spend it with this lady. (Yep, I just said good fortune. I'm 97.) I have so many favorite things about her it might hurt my little pingers to type them all.

First off let's start with the fact that she is brilliant. She graduated with her masters degree in Social Work at the tender (yup, tender) age of just 21. What a wee little babe to know what she wanted, and to go and get it! Also, I don't know about you but school is hard. Super hard. And she even graduated with one of those laude things. Don't ask me which one but I'm sure it was the highest one because of the sheer brilliance that is Catherine.

She is one of the kindest, most caring, compassionate people I have ever met in my entire life. And I'm a crazy person that talks to ALL the people so I've met a crap ton of them. She works in a profession where she helps people to become healthy; mind, and body. She cares so much about the clients that she meets with and about the people that she serves. She even saw a need in our community and co-wrote a program for a pre-school for children with autism that has helped hundreds of children be able to articulate their needs and participate in their communities. It's kind of a big deal. She also dreamed up, and followed through on a facility for teenagers who have some trouble in life. She got the grant, found the space, built the building (In theory. I'm sure there were some muscly men in the mix.), and oversees it now that it's up and running. She's a super grant-write, an awesome boss, (I know lots of peeps who work for her, and I don't think they would lie to me. But if they did I will punch them right in their bits.), and a fantastic community leader! In fact she is quite literally Utah County's TREASURE. You heard it. I said it. She has a giant statue that could probably kill a man if you stabbed him with it that has her name on it. She is also a super nice lady and probably wouldn't stab anyone.

She is driven. The lady never stops. She gets up early (and I mean EARLY) to hit up her local religious space and then to get fit with the ladies at Zumba. She spends her days helping our community to be mentally healthy and often works into the evenings. She even cooks dinner for hundreds of people some weeks for an awesome program that helps families strengthen their bonds around the dinner table. One thing we always did was eat together, and I can only imagine how much that model is helping others. She does all of that and then comes home to take care of my daddy who is the loveliest person ever, but can sometimes be a little cranky. (Love you daddy! ;)) And on top of everything she does where she lives, she still always makes the time for me to call and have a nervous breakdown on the phone whenever I need her.

She loves. So. Hard. She is the best grandma around. Always finding joy in the pictures and videos that get sent from across the country, and going to see them every chance she gets. She came to see me many times when I lived in D.C. and when I got sick in Iowa last summer she made three trips in two months to make sure I was taken care of. There are a million things I love about her visits, but one of the things that I love the most is that she holds my hand. Whether we are walking down the National Mall checking out cool monuments, or laying in bed commiserating about how sad I think my life is, she is always there, reaching out. I love that. I love her.

I hope everyone gets to meet this mom of mine someday. I know my life is brighter with her in it and I am so so so so so SO grateful that I landed in her embrace. I wouldn't change a thing about her. Mommy, I love you to Pluto and back because it's much farther than the moon.