MY mom is pretty great.
With two kids to take care of by the age of 25, she was busy in a different way than I am busy today with my three kids. She doesn't relate to my crazy driving schedule, list of kid's activities and general craziness because she didn't have the same kind of schedule with me and my brother.
I don't remember a childhood of being carted all around town from activity to activity, but I do remember many other things.
I learned to love a lot of things from my mom; some of them being the love of exercise, the love of baking, and the love of the arts. My mom was always engaged in those activities, and she shared them with me on a regular basis.
She was a great role model growing up, and still is today. I remember her getting ready to do her exercises in front of the TV. It was one of those weekday exercise programs with a few leg-warmer, head-band garbed young women on a sunny beach with exercise mats, too much makeup, and a lot of energy.
My mom would let me join her on these morning workouts, me puffing along in my little kid body and her, fit and lithe in her tall body, going through all the moves beside me in our carpeted living room. She never seemed to mind that I was occupying her space while she exercised and I loved being there.
Now I'm a fitness professional, and I'm pretty sure my passion started with those morning workout sessions as a youth.
My mom still works out every day. I don't think a day goes by that she doesn't use her indoor bike, engage in calisthenics, or go for a hike around her home near Mosquito Creek.
Besides being super fit and having the flattest stomach of any 60-year-old I've seen, my mom is also an incredible artist.
She has always had paintings and drawings up in her homes over the years, pieces that she spent time and energy creating. I remember as a young girl not understanding why my mom took so many photos of cityscapes and boring flowers like daffodils and lilies. They weren't very exciting, so why was she doing it?
Now, of course, I see the beauty in those photos and understand that she saw something in those flowers and buildings that I never would have if she hadn't showed them to me.
She sees the art and beauty in things that most people don't, and can portray that through different mediums like photos, paintings, and, as of late, very innovative Photoshop artwork where she layers pictures (some with my kids) in addition to her artwork.
Even though she's fit and healthy, my mom always loved baking, and let me help out whenever I wanted to. I have a great photo of me at around age four in a handmade sweater (did I mention she also knits?) with a very determined look on my face, pounding out dough for bread on our kitchen table. I don't really make bread these days, but I love baking and share in the joy with my own three kids. We're always experimenting in the kitchen with different flours, seeds, and bakeware. I like to think that if it hadn't been for my mom setting me up with so many fun baking experiences as a child I might not be quite so interested in baking for my family today.
Yes, my mom is pretty great. She's been there for me over the years and has always been a calm voice of reason when I might have been feeling slightly irrational (teenage years), emotional (during my adventure of living in the U.S.), and unsure (having my first baby).
She never gives unsolicited advice or makes me question my decisions. I want her to know how much I love her and appreciate her.
Nicole Palacios is a freelance writer and personal trainer in North Vancouver.
