The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. John 1:5
One thing about my mother is that she adores lighthouses. She goes on lighthouse tours around Michigan, takes professional photos, and sends me loads of them. If she is taking a trip somewhere, one will likely be present. I find it rather ironic that she loves lighthouses so much, especially since they symbolize her so well.
As defined in Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, a lighthouse is a structure (such as a tower) with a powerful light that gives a continuous or intermittent signal to navigators. Let me backtrack, she is damn near close to symbolizing a lighthouse; she lacks the tall aspect of one. Standing at a whopping four feet, ten inches (4'10), my mother is a powerful light that guides anyone and everyone back to their highest potential. When darkness surpasses my life, my mother is the person I look for, and she never lets me down. She will be there every single time and guide me back to reality. She is the only thing in my life that remains constant, just like a lighthouse remains constant on shore.
She is not only a light to Dean and I but to so many other people in her life: family members, her students, and her friends. God took His time on her, and He blessed me by making her my mother.
This entry is dedicated to her, who she is as a person, and the impact she makes on those who she crosses paths with. It is also published on her special day: December 17th. The day God brought her light into this world; a short time ago, I might add. Still a young one ;).
Strength. My mother has taught me strength.
My mother raised two kids on her own. Talk about a superhero, am I right? Did Dean and I make it easy? Absolutely not. Did she do it anyway? She sure did, and she did one hell of a job. Growing up, she always drilled it in our heads to stay close to our faith, use our manners, and never be afraid to be ourselves. She taught us to be in touch with our emotions--love, anger, passion, fear--and go about them properly. She taught us to love others and to make sure we reassure those in our lives that they matter. She taught us to follow our dreams, no matter how terrifying or difficult it may be. She taught us everything. She makes quite the teacher, inside and out of the classroom.
My mother, despite all her obstacles growing up, is the most loving woman. She wears her heart on her sleeve but in the best way possible. She faced challenges, testing love and what it means to love, more than anyone can understand. In no way, shape, or form, did she deserve any of the pain she endured; however, you would never be able to tell nor does she ever complain about these difficulties. She has never let a man's (or anyone's) perception of her dictate who she is. She has every right to yell, whine, and curse about how she was treated, but instead, she chooses love. She chooses to be kind and show compassion to her community. You would never know the struggles she faced because of her vibrant, charismatic personality. That’s just who she is—strong, loving, and incredibly understanding.
Dean and I gave her a run for her money. Although he and I had a great bond (because of her), we were still a handful. For a single mom, she sacrificed so much, and he and I recognize this. My mother, being the spectacular woman she is, does not see it this way. She had the ability to love both of us as if we had two parents present. She provided us with the best celebrations, encouragement, education, traditions, and mindsets. She woke up at five o'clock in the morning and (quietly) decked out our rooms for our birthdays so that when we woke up, we would be welcomed with balloons, streamers, and signs. On snow days, once the roads were clear, she would bring us chocolate-covered strawberries. When either of us had nightmares, my mother welcomed Dean or I in her bed at three o'clock in the morning and would wait for us to fall asleep before she did. My mother was destined to be a mother, and she constantly reminds Dean and I that we are her biggest blessings, but she is Dean and I's world. Her strength, optimistic attitude, and loving self are the reasons he and I are the way that we are today; we owe it all to this woman.
Passion. My mother has taught me passion.
My mother's dedication is truly inspiring. She is a teacher, and she is a brilliant one. Her diocese, the parents, and her students can all back me up on this one. She pours her heart into her work; she stays up late to finish lesson plans, grades, or activities she creates to engage the classroom. She presents a safe place for her students, spending hours making sure her classroom is comfortable, in with current trends, and home-like. Her love for her job shows. As her daughter, I have received messages from her students (and even the parents of her students) saying how lucky I am to have her as a mother and then proceeded to tell me about the impact she has had on their lives. I hold these encounters and messages near and dear to my heart. Not only is she appreciated by her family, but by her community.
Rachel Minser, one of my mother's former students, says, "I like to believe that each person I encounter, was placed into my life for a specific purpose, at a certain time. Romans 8:28 states, 'We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose," implying that even challenging people or situations can be part of God's plan to bring growth and purpose to our lives. Ms. Nash was placed into my life as my 7th-grade homeroom teacher at Sacred Heart School. She taught me the power that words have in one's writing and in one's speech. She challenged me in ways I've never been dared to go. She pushed the class every day to strive to be their best and do their best. She prepared and guided many, including myself, through Scholastic Olympic training, and nominated me to be on the City Beautiful committee. She also helped me gain confidence in my faith. Ms. Nash was the teacher I now strive to be, every day, for my students.
The impact that Ms. Nash has made on me and other students is so immense, that there wouldn't be enough adjectives or adverbs to describe all the fun, and faith-filled stories that would be shared. Thank you, Ms. Nash, for loving God, responding to the call of your purpose, and trusting Him. Thank you for teaching me and helping me learn and grow, even through the challenges. Looking back, I cherish the time God gave me in Ms. Nash's classroom. She's a teacher you don't forget."
Tears. Rachel, here and there, sends me messages reminding me of how outstanding my mother is as a teacher and person. She is the sweetest soul and took the time to go in-depth into how my mother impacted her. Similar to Rachel, her students make it known that my mother puts her heart into teaching, and she does it every year, making everlasting impressions on so many.
Along with teaching, she has a passion for writing...go figure. In high school, she wrote for her paper. Throughout her life, she wrote poems and short stories. I preach to people that everyone is a mosaic of everyone they have ever loved. I am a mosaic of my mother. I grew up being called her "mini" because I reminded so many individuals of her, which is the greatest compliment. She passed down her love for writing to me, and I wholeheartedly believe I picked up my pen because of her. She kept her writings for me to read as I grew older, not knowing that writing would become my future career and that her work would come to mean the world to me. Throughout my adolescence, she drilled grammar rules into my head, provided a safe space for me to imagine and create, and encouraged me to write. I had a little red Dell computer growing up, and I would read chapters of the book I wrote to her when she got home from work. She would sit with me and listen to me read it. If only she knew how powerful this was. I felt heard, important, and ambitious.
Teaching and writing are just examples of what makes my mother, her. She also treasures her faith, photography, nature, cats, 80s music, game shows, reading, Chris Hemsworth (Marvel;)), walking, dancing, Yahtzee, Dr. Pepper, ice-skating, quality time with her family, and traveling.
She is my biggest supporter. I run to her with any ideas, creative mojo, or writing accomplishments I have, and she is there to give me her input or a round of applause every time. I write because I love it, but I love it because of her.
Romanticizing life. My mother taught me to romanticize life.
As I’ve mentioned before, my mother taught Dean and me how to recognize and manage our emotions—love, anger, passion, fear—in a healthy way. She wears her heart on her sleeve, meaning she loves openly. She loves the simplest of things--the birds on our porch, Facebook memes, cards that sing to you, fun-shaped pancakes, and the list can continue forever. Growing up, she would get ecstatic over the little things, and point them out to me so we can share the love for it. I picked up on this habit. I wear my heart on my sleeve, and I love openly. I love showing love. Thanks to my mother, the little things in life make it worth living. There is no need for extravagant, materialistic things when I have birds on the porch and bright colors in the sky. She romanticizes the hell out of life; spend less than 24 hours with her, and you will grow an appreciation for lemonade popsicles made from ice trays and dancing around the kitchen to Last Christmas by WHAM!
Patience. My mother taught me patience.
I was high-maintenance, always full of energy, and curiosity, and tended to push boundaries. Growing up, I challenged her, and in some ways, I am sure I still do. Raising a daughter comes with its struggles. She was always patient with me and my mood swings. She taught me to think before I speak, using the 24-hour rule to be specific. She encouraged me to address an issue after reflection so I could approach the matter with calm diction and resolutions. She was patient when I gave her attitude. When we had different opinions, she never belittled mine. When we had outbursts, she would always apologize first (I was stubborn) and make me "hug it out." She was patient when I was in the dumps; she let me feel all that I needed to feel, all while comforting me. She allowed me to come to her when I was ready, and she listened when I talked. This woman is serene; she is who you want by your side during a crisis.
She is patient with herself, her kids, and her students. I never understood how she was so down-to-earth, but it is because she is in no hurry. She lives in every moment, and she understands that there is no need to rush. In her Facebook bio, alone, it says, "Taking time to find the extraordinary in the ordinary." That alone speaks volumes.
Kristen Nash is a lot of things: loving, passionate, sentimental, patient, and so many other beautiful adjectives. But she is my best friend above all. She is the light in my life. She is the only thing that has ever made sense to me. She is the one I run to for everything: good or bad. She is someone I can rely on. She is the biggest gift from God. I have enough love from her that can last a lifetime. I pity those who do not gain the privilege of having her in their life or knowing her.
No words do her justice; this blog post is not even sufficient enough for the beautiful person that she is. If you spend only a day with her, you can understand the light she radiates. Her love for lighthouses makes sense. She embodies a short one, but a lighthouse nonetheless. She guides people out of storms, her personality shines positivity, and she is home to so many people. To know my mother is to love her.
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