the other mother

 

 

When they placed me in her arms, it was us against the world.

I don’t think she could have imagined how far we’d travel or just how much harder and better things would get.

 

Protector.

Nurturer.

Who battled through my silence to give me words again.

 

She was Mommio.

 

~

 

 

Then along came Walla-Bip-Boo.

(shockingly, that is only part of her actual nickname)

 

When I was old enough (and brave enough) to whine, her fingers would tap my lips until an honest-to-goodness Indian war whoop escaped.

 

While Mommio filled the grocery cart with organic peanut butter and soy milk; Mommio’s fun twin got a running start and rode the grocery cart all the way to the car.

 

And while Mommio taught Sunday School, Walla-Bip-Boo fastened the giggling kids to the wall with duct tape.

 

 

Mommio sang in the church worship team… Walla-Bip-Boo rocked the toddler drum set after the service.

 

 

While Mommio is grossed out over a certain daughter’s public burping skills (ahem), Walla-Bip-Boo has no problem embracing the humor.

 

 

Walla-Bip-Boo does nothing halfway.

While Mommio entertains one kid with puppets…

 

Walla-Bip-Boo wins the Grand Marshal prize by entertaining thousands more.  There may or may not have been several Super Soakers involved…

(We look like sisters?  You don’t say!)

 

And though Mommio was more than willing to pull Grandma duty at the pumpkin patch…

 

 

It was Walla-Bip-Boo who stole the spotlight with her Julie Andrews impersonation.

 

 

(You have got to love the random confused kid behind her)

 

 

 

To be honest, I love both of my mothers.

Because both Mommio and Walla-Bip-Boo love Jesus.

 

Here’s her comment on my last post:

 

Anonymous said...

OK...so this one may be my favorite of all time posts - the only reason I say "may be" is that it is still in competition with your "Gramma-over-there" post about her wonderfully lived life & how deeply she is & will be missed.
So, as your Mommio, who has NEVER viewed you as handicapped - I want to say that I luv u and I am so very proud of you at this moment... PS me & Itty-bit ran into that little girl in the wheelchair (who by the way is now a grown woman) when I took him to see the movie "Hop" and introduced him as your son - she still remembers you... wonder if she noticed that he looks enough like you to be your clone? :)

 

I don’t know that you could understand unless you’ve walked it… what a huge thing it is to watch someone sacrifice for you – for decades.  Going more than the extra mile – and doing it cheerfully.  Knowing that the limitations of your life have transformed theirs as well – yet not sensing any kind of bitterness.  Realizing that they’ve taken your hardships on themselves – and at the end of the day, can tell you, “I have NEVER viewed you as handicapped”.  It’s motherhood times 1000.  It’s Jesus.

 

It made me cry.

 

So if someday someone doesn’t say,

“You look just like your mother”,

 

and instead says,

“You are just like your mother”.

 

 

I’ll know God has made some headway in me.

 

~

 

Thank you Mommio Walla-Bip-Boo.  I love you a bushel and a peck.

 

 

But I’ll still burp.

 

Excuse me.

 

 

 

Do you have two moms?