952-MOMM

She’s the one who chartered the waters before the rest of us. She had the first baby on the block. The first to have her heartstrings tugged in the delivery room and to share those intimate moments with all of us neighbor mommy wannabes. The first to discover what works best and what doesn’t. The first to hear that wonderful name “Mommy” called so sweetly in her direction.

She’s the first to pick up the phone to check on the rest of us, the first to bring dinner to us, tell us about the latest consignment sales. She’s the one whom I call in the middle of the night to ask “Uh Karen, how much Tylenol do you give a child with a fever over 102’ that weighs only 22 lbs and oz.? She’s the one I call to tell of my daughter’s first tooth peeking through the gum, first potty success, and first step, second, third and fourth ear infection and how worried I am about it. She’s the one who cried with me when I had a miscarriage and the first one to cry tears of happiness with me when I got pregnant again. She’s the one who called a neighborhood prayer group when my baby was having surgery. She’s the first one I trust outside of my family to watch my little girl, because I know that when she watches her, she treats her like a member of her own family.

She bakes bread, she teaches her sons to pray. She invites all the kids on the block over to play. She is the first to volunteer to watch another’s newborn when his mommy became too sick to care for him. She’s the first to share a new recipe, new paint scheme, new parenting trick. And she shares all this with us with enthusiasm and grace. She’s proud to be a mom and doesn’t hide it. I’m proud to say I have learned so much from her about being a mom.

In my heart I know that when we’ve all moved away from this bend in the road, that she will be the first I call when I face a teen dilemma to get her advice on how she handled a certain situation. She’ll be the one I call when my daughter leaves home to go off to college. I’m sure she will cry with me, well knowing the mixture of pride and pain because her son did it the year before. She’ll be the one I smile and cry for when her sons get married and have children of their own. Someday she’ll be the one I share with and learn about the joys of being a grandma.

She’s the one friend I’ll always think about when I reminisce back to the days when our children were young.. She’s the one mom I admire on Mother’s day more than any other (besides my own mother and grandmothers). She’s the one who has the phone number I have jokingly reassigned: 952-MOMM, because when we call and ask her something she always has a comforting answer. She’s my neighbor, and best friend. And she’s one of my favorite moms that has rightly earned the title: First Mom!