To most people, she is Mrs. G, but to me, she is a whole lot more. She is a best friend and a hero, a mentor and a counselor. She is my backbone and my support. Without her I don’t know where I would be in life, and I know I would not be the person I am today.

My mom was born in New Jersey on January 7, 1968. Her family was in New Jersey at the time because her dad was stationed there as he served in the Vietnam War. Since the rest of her family lived in West Virginia, my grandmother and mom moved back home while her dad was in the war. After serving a year overseas, he returned home when my mom was a year old.

My mom grew up on Red House Hill, which is a mountain in West Virginia. The road to Red House is a long, winding, uphill climb that seems to never end. As a child there, my mom enjoyed playing outside. She would run next door to her grandmother’s house. She and her grandmother would look through old pictures and cook together.

My mom went to Elementary School at Confidence Elementary, which was a short walk from her house. As a middle school student, she attended George Washington Middle School, where she was a cheerleader and a majorette. My mom was also on the gymnastics team at her middle school.

As a high school student, my mom went to Poca High School, the home of the “Mighty Dots.” Seriously, their school mascot was literally “The Dot.” Their school was always listed in Sports Illustrated as one of the Top Ten Favorite School Mascots. In her four years at Poca, my mom was involved in the concert band, was a majorette with the marching band, served as a member of the newspaper staff, was a member of the yearbook staff, and took part in show choir.

After many years of hard work and training, my mom taught dance classes including ballet, tap, jazz, gymnastics and twirling. Dance was always a huge part of my mom’s life. She loved being on the stage and being in the spotlight. She enjoyed being creative and interpreting the music. Passing her knowledge on to the younger kids, watching them grow in their skills and seeing them develop a love for the art were her favorite things about the job.

My mom met my dad her sophomore year at Poca. My dad was the guy that all parents hoped their daughter wouldn’t find. He was a little crazy and a tad rebellious. He was one of those guys that got into everything he could and always had some trick up his sleeve. He was rotten to the core. I honestly do not know how they ever came together. In my opinion, they are polar opposites in every way. That year, my mom and dad started dating, and they’ve been together since.

Teaching dance inspired my mom to go to college to be a teacher. She attended West Virginia State College for two years, while continuing to dance. My mom and dad got married in the year 1990. They moved out to Ohio because my dad got a job with Duke Energy. My mom continued her education at Northern Kentucky University, where she earned a degree in Elementary and Middle Grade Education.

My parents lived in Amelia for a while, and then found farm land in Brown County. When they came to look at the land, my mom did not necessarily fall in love. It was a huge field covered in tall grass, and she felt it was in the middle of nowhere. To my mom it was just a field, but to my dad, it was heaven. They were very nervous about buying the land and spending the money, but in the end they decided to make it home. They moved into a trailer at first before they built our house. Around that time my mom got her first teaching job as a first grade teacher at Hamersville Elementary and Middle School.

It took about seven months to build their new house, which is still our present day home. As soon as my parents moved in, they knew they had made the right choice by buying the land. It was the most calm, quiet, and gorgeous place to be. The only noise that could be heard was the sounds of the wildlife that also made this farm their home. To this day, my mom is still thankful that my dad convinced her to buy the land.

After three years of living in the house, my mom found out she was pregnant with her first child, me. It was a tough few months because she was trying to finish her master’s degree and juggle a full time job, teach dance and endure a pregnancy. Although it was difficult, she earned her master’s degree and graduated with a 4.0. She was a trooper.

On December 21, 1995, I was born, arriving three weeks early and just in time for Christmas. The extended family was visiting for Christmas and was able to welcome me home. My mom took off the rest of the school year and spent all her time with me. She said, “I still remember lying beside you every day, and spending all my time being thankful I had you.”

Four years later, my little brother Samuel was born. He was born on April 2, 2000. I remember thinking he was the best thing on earth. I begged my mom to name him “Baby Peanut Butter.” To this day I still have no idea why I chose that name.

When Samuel was about three weeks old, my mom completed all of her requirements in the National Board Certification process and three months later was awarded the honor of being National Board Certified. She got the chance to have lunch with the Governor of Ohio and was honored with the Governor’s Educational Leadership Award. All of her hard work had finally paid off.

One of my mom’s favorite things to do is travel, and we’ve been blessed with many great opportunities to visit many places. My mom’s favorite place to be is beside the ocean, so as you could guess, we’ve gone there every year. Some of her favorite places are San Diego, Colorado, and the Florida Keys.

My mom has always been a creative person, and a church project led to the birth of her business, Inklings Studio. In Inklings Studio, my mom makes a number of creative things. Some examples of products she makes are all occasion cards, invitations, scrapbooks, notebooks, journals, mixed media art, mini albums, and home décor items. Her business is blooming and it continues to grow in many different ways.

One of the most exciting projects she was faced with was when she was hired to create custom notebooks for the publishers of the newest Smurf book release. She was ecstatic to be able to work with the publishers and create the books for the book release press kits. This was a big opportunity. I was so proud of her for the exposure this opportunity brought to Inklings Studio.

Although my mom has had many amazing accomplishments, she always said one thing, “The thing I am most proud of is my kids.” Of all the different things she has done, she says that being a mom is her favorite job. Being a mom is a difficult job, but she is the best at what she does.

My mom has always been a hardworking and dedicated woman. She puts 100% of effort into everything she does. She is the biggest perfectionist I know. If it wasn’t for her, everything I do wouldn’t be as good as it is. She is constantly making sure everything is perfect and in order. She has everything labeled and is organized to an extreme. But without any of these traits, she wouldn’t be who she is.

An experience I remember very well and a great example of her perfectionism is the time when she came into my messy room and organized and labeled every shelf, drawer and cubby possible. Everything had a sticker and everything was put neatly into place. It took her two days to accomplish, but after it was all over she seemed pretty proud. I was asked that day to make an oath that my room would never get that messy again, that oath didn’t last very long.
Many of the people around me see my mom as a teacher, and not the person I see her as. They see her as a sweet, nice, and caring woman, and sometimes I see her “I’m going to kill you” side, which is very scary. Not only does she have that scary side, but she also has a completely goofy side as well. Most of the people around me haven’t seen that side of her because she is always professional at work or when she’s in public. Her goofy side is definitely her best side.

Without my mom, I don’t know where I would be in life. She is the one thing that holds me together. Through thick and thin she is always there for me. Even when I am a grumpy, mean teenager, she still treats me like a princess. She is the one who has taught me everything I know. She has taught me how to carry myself like a lady and how to treat others. She brought me up in the best ways possible and has blessed me all my life.

My mom is my hero and my best friend. Without her, I wouldn’t be able to be the person I am today or do the things I am able to do. I thank God for her every day, and I am so glad to call her my mom.