It’s a party with all your friends. It’s so late you’ve forgotten what time it is, and you’re on your third slice of cold pizza. Conversation has drifted towards the philosophical, and it all culminates with talk about how great your moms are. Sound familiar?
It’s a cliche to say that you should treat your partner like every day is Valentine’s Day. While I think there is some truth to that (with a few exceptions: 365 days of chocolates and jewelry could bring breakouts and bankruptcy), I think that the phrase should really be saved for Mother’s Day. Being a mom is the toughest job, and it’s often a thankless one. So with this post (and yes, a card with some flowers and a surprise long weekend visit planned for this Thursday), I thank my mom for being my biggest fan, closest confidant, and ultimately my best friend.
My mom was a doctor for six years (give or take) before I showed up on planet Earth. To be honest, I had a bit of a bubble burst when I discovered that not every experience with a doctor was a pleasant one, because I couldn’t imagine every doctor not being as perfect as my mom. When I was a kid, we used to get stopped at the supermarket, the movies, restaurants, you name it, by some patient who would gleam at me and tell me how my mom saved their life.
A few years ago, Aaron got a skin irritation on his hip that kept getting worse. My mom got concerned and asked that he come into her office for her to take a peek at it. I gripped his hand as my mom fixed him up, him wincing in terrible pain the whole time. He later told me that it was the most excruciating thing he ever felt, but it was still the most positive experience he had with a doctor (it got better after a month of treatment with my mom’s input).
I could just stop at appreciation for my mom with the fact that she’s a doctor, and serving the on the frontlines of the COVID-19 crisis. That said, I want to switch gears to the more fun things about her. When she was growing up, she learned fast how to live from my grandfather, who I think is the definition of an American success story. For the Braver family, you can find happiness in the pride of a hard day’s work… and when that’s not enough, hop on a plane and go see the world. My grandfather would work tireless hours in his accounting firm (from a corner office where occasionally, my mom and aunt would go visit to watch the Thanksgiving Day parade), and then take my grandmother on a grandiose adventure. We’re talking a hot air balloon ride around countries in Europe, and I’m pretty sure he did that more than once! He instilled in my mom (and myself) to never accept a B when an A is attainable. My mom clearly took that to heart as she went off to college and med school… and a year of study abroad in the UK. Like mother, like daughter!
When she’s not hard at work, or up in New York taking care of said grandparents, she’s on a jet-setting adventure. She’s been to Central America, Canada, South America and almost all of Europe! If I had a million dollars, I would pay for her to have a cruise around the world. She loves a good museum, but she’s an even bigger fan of a cruise (a floating hotel to get from nation to nation). I’m the same way!
I remember that once a year, around her birthday, my grandparents would take my mom and her sisters on a trip somewhere beautiful. I was always too little, but I was so excited for the future when I could go on trips of my own with my mom. In junior year when I studied abroad, my mom was so quick to sign me up for a travel group. With that, she got notifications about future trips. One day, she got an email for a weekend trip to Amsterdam. She asked if I was going to go, but I already had a trip planned that weekend (to Wales!). I joked, “Hey, maybe you can meet me in Amsterdam while I’m abroad!” She paused and said, “Let me work on that.” Cut to three months later, and we’re staying in the prettiest hotel (with a daily wine and cheese special) on the banks of the canals of Amsterdam. We went to all the museums, visited the tulip gardens, and discussed life in a restaurant called Red that only served variants of steak and lobster. It’s a great memory, and hopefully the first of many trips together!
I don’t think I could have had the wedding of my dreams without my mom’s attention to detail and love for planning. We spent so many weekends in Vermont finding the right venue, the right vendors, and the right dress. We would toast champagne and split a plate of escargot at our favorite French bistro in Burlington. Planning a wedding in and of itself was special, but between our work schedules, her weekends with my grandparents, and having to share home visits with my siblings, the weekends just with her were the best.
I talk a lot about how Demi Lovato, Tina Fey, and Mindy Kaling are my biggest role models, but slot number one is reserved for my mom, Robin Ann Braver. She’s funny, intelligent, and compassionate to everyone she meets. She is a truly special person, and the world is better for having her in it.
Happy Mother’s Day to the best mom a girl could want. I love you, Moooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooom!
This commercial pretty much sums up today: