Thanks to my "other mothers"

As you know from my last post, I spent tonight in the BYU stadium cheering on my former High School Marching Band. If by chance you are interested in how they did - They were fantastic! Heather would be very pleased! They looked sharp, the lines and formations were clean and precise, and the music was really incredible. (The horn line was amazing!!!) I really liked the music selection and the show design and theme. (much better that the last one I went to see..."through the eyes of a child"... I didn't care much for that one, personally...) Anyway - that's not what this post is about.

Back in my high school days, 20+ years ago, I didn't really have a very good relationship with my mom. I always felt like I fell "short of the mark." I never felt like I was "good enough." I think that is one reason why I tended to "collect mom's." Mom Harper, Mom Liddle, Mom Larson, Mom Reed, Mom Turner, the list goes on... College came along and I adopted Mom Corry and Mom Seegmiller... One mom that I always thought highly of, and recently reconnected with via face book, is Mom Woffinden. She commented on face book that she wanted to find me at the competition and give me a hug. I looked and looked through the crowd but couldn't find her - there were just so many people....
I circled up with the group singing "friends are friends forever," and just as the 2nd verse started, I looked across the circle and there she was.

Mom Woffinden.

I left my spot and moved next to her. She put her arm around me and gave me one of her great "band mom hugs." The next thing I knew, I was bawling like a baby. It surprised me. We finished singing the song, talked for a few minutes about this, that, and nothing, then I started the long hike back up to the Marriott Center where my van was parked. As I walked, I had lots of time to think about my strangely extra-emotional reaction to seeing her and getting that hug. I began to realize how all of those "moms" that I collected, had filled a great void deep inside of my heart. Through them I felt cared for, encouraged, accepted, and 'good enough.' I felt loved.

It has been 20 years since I graduated from High School. 20 years since I've seen Mom Woffinden. Yet when she put her arms around me, I felt all that love and acceptance and safety come rushing back. I had no idea how deeply those adopted mom affected me. I had no idea how desperately I had needed them.

Although none of them read this blog, I just wish to express how truly, truly grateful I am for all the "other moms" who stepped up in my life to support me and accept me, love me and encourage me when I needed it. THANK YOU!

To those of you who find yourself being "adopted" by children who are not yours by birth - It may seem like just a passing thing that means nothing -- but you never know. You may be having an impact on them that is deep and lasting. An impact that you may never know about. In fact the "adopted child" in question may never know the powerful influence you are having on them; unless maybe, perchance, 20 years from now, life will bring you back together, and you will have occasion to put your arm around them again, and their tears will flow as they realize the depth of influence for good you were in their life.