The Story of the Button.

Ok, so it's more of a realization about my mom, but it all started with the button.

I have a pair of corduroy pants that I LOVE. I wear them weekly at work (unfortunately I can't wear jeans everyday). This last week, I have been moving offices. I have been moving furniture around to create my new space while leaving enough furniture in my old office to still be usable.

Well, in pushing one big desk, I felt a weird pull on the back of my cords and didn't know what it was. I later looked down and saw that a button had pulled off which held on the belt tab at the back. I thought, no big deal, until I started walking around my office. My pants kept falling down in the back.

I came home and pulled them off and saw that they were put together in some weird way and I didn't know how to fix them. I thought, my mom can do this, and planned to give them to her to fix. There have been two times in the last two days I could have given to my mother, but I forgot. Finally tonight, I saw my pants laying on my floor, with the button still ripped off. I thought, my mom has taught me how to fix this. . . and I got to work.

My mom at age 4.

I pulled the old button off and thought I would try and sew the canvas that ripped back together which held the button in place, but decided that wouldn't hold. Then I decided to just sew the button back on in its place without the canvas to see how that would work.

It worked and when I look at the button, you can't tell that it was ever off or even that the other buttons with the canvas holding them down is any different. In that small moment, I thought what a great mother I have.

Not only has she taught me hard work (moving the furniture around on my own like my mother has always done) but also when things don't go your way, how you can make it better. She enrolled me in a sewing class when I was in 9th grade and encouraged this skill as she has continued to provide me with opportunities to hone my skills. I sought her advice in buying my first sewing machine and didn't go wrong following her advice.

Through her talents and example have been able to make baby blankets for each of my girls and beautiful dresses for them. I have even been able to pay it back a little in making her a Christmas Tree Skirt last year which is more appropriate for the size of her tree. I could go on and on about all the wonderful legacies she has provided me and my siblings, but just know she is amazing and I am so GRATEFUL she is my mother. There truly is no one like her.

Lucky for me, I have been told I look a lot like her.

Me at about 2.