Being a mom has changed my life in a number of ways! It’s changed my perspective to realize what’s truly important. It’s made me stop and laugh at things that I’d normally be flustered about. Overall, it’s made me a better person as well as helped me see the joy in situations where I previously may not have.
My girls are my angels. As they grow into their little personalities, they often do or say things that make me laugh and bring so much joy to my day. Laughing, to me, is a way to see the joy in any given situation.
It’s even funnier when they repeat something you’ve said and use it in the correct context at the exact moment that you need to hear it. Oftentimes, they’ll offer advice to me – that they’ve obviously heard from me. It’s like giving me a dose of my own medicine. My six-year-old told me exactly what I needed to hear one day. I was flustered for whatever reason and she innocently said, “Mom, seriously, it’s not a big deal. You just need to calm down and breathe.” She was four when she said this to me! I literally laughed out loud and was taken aback because not only was it something I needed to hear at that moment, but she also did the coinciding hand motions for me to calm down. I felt like she was parenting me regarding my adult temper tantrum. I laughed for days.
My three-year-old, going on 13, has eyes and ears in the back of her head. She has always been so perceptive and intuitive in situations where I’ve had to seek more understanding. She notices anything and everything. She is so much like me when I was little. She’s that curious child who will ask any question, to whomever, at any given moment. I’ve often had those cringing moments where all you want to do is crawl under a rock. My mother gets a kick out of it, of course. “It’s payback,” she says. In my crazy mom frenzies, where I’m rushing out the door to get somewhere – she will notice every time if I’ve forgotten lipstick, glasses, coffee, or my coat. She has my goofy personality, so she adds a little sarcasm mixed with diva language.
Alexia: Dude, where’s your lipstick?
Me: I don’t know Lex. I forgot to put it on.
Alexia: Mom, you’re cray cray!
She’s intent on bringing laughter to any moment with her hilarious antics.
Both of my girls have their own special way of continuously making me laugh. They also, unknowingly, help me find joy in situations where I might not have seen or felt it.
Jamie Williamson, Edmond Campus Director of Administration
