A Mother's Love

This morning I awaken in preparation for a long day of chemotherapy. While up getting the kids ready for school this morning, Alexis finally gave me her African American History report she had worked on in class and turned in for a grade. Her teacher Lauren told me to be looking for it and recently asked me if I had seen it come home yet. Well, I hadn't and when I asked Alexis about it she gave me the *blank stare*. "Well what was it about?" I asked. "Rosa Parks I think," was her reply. So I let it go without further questioning but wondered what the heck would be so interesting in her report about Rosa Parks that would have her teacher so anxious for me to read it.

This morning, unexpectedly, she hands me the report and it is simply titled "MOM". My mouth drops open and I begin to read. She chose me to do her report on me because I teach her to be a good person, to think of others, and to help when she can. Below is the gist of what she said.

"I picked my mom because she wants me to be a better person."

• by working hard in school and finishing my work
• picking up trash off the ground at school
• by helping the earth be better and clean
• by not smoking and littering
• and by not going to jail

The famous person I am writing about is Ms. Fionna Martin. She inspires me to be a good person.

By the time I finished reading her report I was wearing a smile from cheek to cheek with tears in my eyes. She even ended with a newsphoto of me from an article written about me in The Courier-Journal over three years ago!

Motherhood is not easy but it is, hands down, the best thing I have done in my life thus far and I don't have ANY regrets about it. My children are amazing, funny, happy, loving, and definitely crazy but it makes our life good...and interesting!

I end this blog knowing that despite everything that has gone on in our lives, and especially what we are going through right now, she gets it. My happiness comes in knowing that as a parent when I'm not sure they get my life's lessons for them....she DOES!!

So today I pay tribute to my daughter, Alexis Faye Martin, for turning my anxiety into happiness to carry into chemo with me.