Stephanie Croston

    With Mother's Day having come and gone, I have, of course, been thinking of my mom.
     I'm sure Mom, like all mothers, had plans and hopes for all four of us. I don't know what they were, so I don't know if they've been fulfilled or not.
     I do know she didn't expect me to be a teacher. She's said as much. But then, I never wanted to be a teacher. I don't have the patience to explain anything more than once to people who aren't catching on.
     Some children played school when they were young. I played church. I'd line up my dolls and toys on the stairs and hold a church service. We'd have songs and a sermon and sometimes an invitation. I doubt, however, that any of my toys got saved.
     But I didn't want to be a preacher, either. That would have required more schooling, and I hated school. (Another reason to not be a teacher.)
     I didn't want to be a secretary or an administrative assistant, nor was I gifted in the areas of fashion or interior design.
     When I told my parents I wanted to be a journalist, neither one laughed at me. Neither tried to dissuade me. Mom knew what I was getting into, since she'd worked for a small weekly newspaper in Smith Center for a few years. But she didn't say anything.
     I've had moments where I've questioned some of my choices. Show me someone who hasn't. But I've always known that I had my parents' full support.
     I'm sure Mom and Dad hoped that all four of us would meet people we'd fall in love with and marry. Two of us have. The other two of us have not. The two who are married have provided grandchildren for Mom to spoil and niece and nephews for Aunt Steph to brag about.
     Even today, though I've lived on my own for quite some time, I still ask Mom for advice. I can hear her in my head at times, reminding me that I shouldn't overreact.
     That was her favorite thing to say to me-that I was overreacting. I already knew that. I'm good at overreacting.
     I hope, though, that I've turned out better than you hoped I would, Mom. I know I wouldn't be here without your love and prayers. Thanks.