Top 5 Reasons My Mom is better than Emily's

1. She has a level a patience that is envied world-wide. I never thought much of it until I was a parent (which is why my siblings never comment on it), but it is surreal. I always have people comment on how chilled-out she is.

2. She has set the best example of self-esteem and healthy living in my life. She runs...every single day, and doesn't eat butter on her toast. She has never made a disparaging comment about how she looks, and that makes me feel better about myself.

3. She read to us all the time as kids and I think that greatly contributed to my and my siblings love of learning. We have all or are about to attend college, and three of us are working on grad school. I attribute that to the high priority of being informed that my mother set for us.

4. She only cut us some slack when we really needed it (this does not include illness). She holds to a high standard, so we have learned to do that in our own lives. One of her favorite stories is about Sir Thomas Moore (A Man For All Seasons) who maintains his integrity and dies for it. She reminds me of him, except she is still alive.

5. She takes great care of my dad. I have never heard her say anything bad about him, and she always puts him first. She supports him in everything he does, even though it isn't always her favorite thing. I think I have only ever seen them argue about politics! She is a great example of how to be a fantastic wife.

Happy Mother's Day Mom! I love you!