To all the bad-ass moms out there

So, I have 4 moms. There's my biological mom, my step-mom, mother-in-law, and a stepmother-in-law. I love all of them but there is definitely something different and unique about a child's relationship with their biological mom. She raised me and my brothers and sister while she was pursuing her degree in Anthropology. This is just an example of why I emulate my mother, although I'd be happy with just being half the person that she is. There is this concept where the average American woman is terrified of becoming like their mother. I know I'm turning into my mom and I couldn't be happier.

My mom is bad ass. She is more than that, don't get me wrong. But that's a word that many other kids like me wouldn't use to describe their mom. My mom is a survivor, a world traveler, video game addict, and a horror movie watcher. When she was little, she was forced into the Catholic boarding school institution. This was initiated by the Canadian Government (as well as the U.S. Government) as a way to "civilize" Indians since they couldn't wipe them out completely. "Kill the Indian, save the man" as they would like to say. Although many children like my mother either died in the schools, took their own lives later in life, or took to drinking, she endured. She still does to this day; the experience of being taken from your family and thrown into this system does damage. But some how, my mom managed to raise me and my siblings well.

As mentioned earlier, my mom got her degree in Anthropology while she had kids at home. As a college student, I can't imagine pursuing my studies as well as having a family to raise. When I was 11, my mom went on an archeological dig in Jordan. She was there for months. This was an amazing feat for her as well as our people. For my mom to go from a kid growing up without electricity or running water and not speaking English, to traveling to another far away country is unheard of. It might as well be the moon. This event was so important that my sister was named after it, her Indian name rather. Her journey has sparked something in me as well. I wish to travel some place completely unknown...and maybe get a little lost even.

One of my fondest memories with my mom is watching a scary movie with her. And if you were there, you'd probably have more fun watching me and her. We both really get engrossed in what we are watching. While my mom begins to "tap" her hand on her leg, I'll start to cover my eyes or look away from the movie. Lately, she's been placing napkins in front of her face but they have holes poked through them for her eyes. You're probably wondering why we do this or why bother watching something if it scares you this much? We both like being scared stupid. Sure, waiting for something to pop out and scare us is, well scary, but we love being able to laugh at each other after the movie is over.

I'm a lot like my mom in the sense that were more than meets the eye. She may have a short stature and she will be extremely nice to you; offering a warm, comfy bed to sleep in, a nice meal, and to make sure you have clean clothes. She does draw the line when it comes to playing HALO. There, she will pick up a flamethrower, torch you, and watch you burn. Just ask my husband, or as she likes to call him, "The person I like to cook marshmallows over."I basically taught her and my step-dad how to play Medal of Honor way back when. They've been playing ever since. They recently got HALO: ODST for Christmas and have been playing that one frequently. When I call her on Sunday evenings, they're usually playing a "firefight" of a "campaign" and she'll complain about her eyes drying out from not blinking. She told me once that she and my step-dad played until four in the morning. I guess having an empty nest drives one's attention elsewhere.

In closing, I'm not going to hit you over the head with cliches about how my mom is my hero and what not. I'm just going to say that I love her with ever fiber of my being and wish everyone a Happy Mother's Day!