I am my mother's daughter....

I have recently reconnected with several high school friends on Facebook and we have all done the "what have you been up to since the good old days in 50 words or less" updates. Condensing the past into just a few words has made me realize something - I have turned into my mother.

Perhaps I should have noticed this earlier but I honestly never thought about it. I was always close to my mother and I never was one who said "I want to have a different life than my mother" but I always assumed that I would. As a youth growing up in a small town in Maine, I always assumed that there was more out there and I assumed I would find it.

However, I have realized:


My priority is my family. My mother's priority was her family. She was the youngest child and I am the youngest child. In many ways, she was the child who made the effort to keep the family connected after her parents passed away and I find that I have adopted that role also. She was at every performance and every show that I ever participated in. I knew she was behind me and I hope that my son feels the same way. My mother was always the parent who made sure that everything got accomplished that needed to be accomplished. While my hubby is a wonderful dad, it something needs to get done, everyone in the family looks to me to make sure it happens.

She loved the small town lifestyle of where we lived and I love the small town lifestyle of where I live. We both enjoy "neighbors helping neighbors". My mother always baked for bake sales, supported the youth organizations we participated in and "mothered" way beyond the family ties. I like to think that I have followed in her footsteps with my support of our community.

I work in the same industry as my mother. She worked in a small family owned insurance agency in claims and I work in a small insurance agency handling commercial accounts. I left a higher paying job in a bigger city about 10 years ago because I wanted to be closer to home and my family. I really enjoy helping out my neighbors with their business insurance and going into local businesses and knowing people. I know my mother enjoyed that part of the job also.

Is there more out there? Perhaps but the life I lead is a perfect fit for me. I can think of no better woman to be like than my mother. I miss her every day.

Who are you most like?

Here's to family ties and being my mother's daughter!