Mom Michele Laughing-Reeves

By Michele Laughing-Reeves

Scars turned into badges-of-honor. Frowns turned upside down. Tears turned to sweet nothings. Mistakes turned into lessons. Heartbreaks turned into determination. Stomach growls turned to full plates. Mothers are the magician that can do all of this— and so much more. On the day that a mother’s first child is born, she is also unofficially indoctrinated into the motherhood club. Bestowed upon her are a bottomless pocket of pixie dust, a righthand wand, and an invisible cape. At the right time, mothers turn into magicians.

A mother can mold into any descriptive adjective, sometimes she turns into mama bear. It is no wonder that a mother is at the top of the hero list, above firefighters and astronauts. Every great person must have had an even greater mother. George Washington said of his mother, “My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual, and physical education I received from her.” Similarly, Abraham Lincoln said of his mother, “All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” More impressive is how a mother can magically put a positive twist on adjectives we normally think of as negative, like crazy and bizarre. She can be overbearing, strict, mean, and disappointed, then instantaneously be relieved, soft, and forgiving. She’s not being extreme; she’s being a mother.

It is so perplexing that Marvel has yet to showcase the superhero skills of a mother. Yes, snapping your fingers to restore the world is pretty superhero-ly, but a mother’s snap can get unruly kids to sit still or to do the dishes or end a barrage of excuses or to simply get your attention. A mother’s real superhero skill is tricking you into thinking that she is multitasking. Research has proven that a human cannot perform two tasks at the same time, like texting and driving. Scientists have discovered that the human brain goes between the two tasks so quickly that it tricks the person into thinking that they are multitasking. In reality, the person is performing and focusing on each task one-at-a-time, while being completely oblivious to the other task. Us normal folks can barely handle two tasks at a time, but a mother can do umpteen more in what we perceive as “all at once.” Either it’s mind control or faster than the speed of light. With this skill alone, Mom can replace Dr. Strange and The Flash.

Additionally, a mother has superhuman abilities. She knows a lie when she hears it. She can smell you being up to no-good. She can hear from miles and miles away your thoughts of “mom won’t find out.” She can feel your pain and sorrow. She can see

with the eyes on the back of her head to catch you in the act. Her vision has somehow tapped into all the security cameras within a 50-mile radius of your location. She is part of the highly organized, never-mentioned spy network of mothers, which is why she knows about what happened today before you even walk through the door. Her most enduring quality, however, is her ability to nurture her own children and still have love to spare for other children. Maya Angelou said it best, “I will look after you and I will look after anybody you say needs to be looked after, any way you say. I am here. I brought my whole self to you. I am your mother.”

Mom is also the “Jill-of-all-trades,” and she is on-call 24/7/365—for free! At any given time, she could be the cook, the chauffeur, the coach, the referee, the breadwinner, the stylist, the barber, the tutor, the disciplinarian, the audiobook, the secretary, the nurse, the cheerleader, the seamstress, the motivational speaker, or the life saver. Mom can do all this selflessly, fueled only by coffee and a slice of bread. Everyday, unknown to us, she is sacrificing something small or something big. She has given up a meal, so we won’t go to bed hungry. She has given up her coat, so we won’t feel the sting of the cold. She has given up nighttime, so we can be nursed back to health. She has given up rest, so we can learn the value of hard work. She has given up her savings, so we can have opportunities. She has given up her dream, so we can realize ours. She will not, however, give up on her children.

There is no explanation for how a mother obtains her skills, it must be magic. She works all the time, doing all these different things, and somehow, she is still the most beautiful person ever.

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Dr. Vicki Handfield

Clinical psychologist

Practicing for over 30 years. Treating anxiety, depression, and life issues.

In Gallup 609-841-9159 drvickihandfield.com