The Power Of The Mother-Daughter Relationship

I'm giving myself a birthday present this year: I'm finally going to write a blog.

I haven't been too inspired lately.

But tonight, after meeting my family for dinner in the Fort Worth Stockyards, my heart's aflame.  The headline? The power of the mother-daughter relationship.

Just two days ago my almost-18-year-old Nicole finally got her driver's license.  Watching her pull out of the driveway with her little brother in tow, driving to school for the first time, I realized, This is it. Nicole officially has her "wings."  And I am thrilled about the journey's she's about to embark upon.

I know I am not alone.  Last week I enjoyed an absolutely delightful interview with Gene Jones at Cowboys stadium about the art collection she's spearheaded there.  But when I asked her about her daughter Charlotte, and how she feels about having watched her daughter evolve into the elegant woman she is today, Gene started to cry.  Choking back tears, she uttered, "Charlotte is my best friend."

And just last night, I received the most beautiful email from a friend writing to tell me how much she adored her own mother. She was inspired to write after we spent two days on the beach during my annual birthday trip.  It happened to be the very beach where my mother spent her last day alive.  I left my girlfriends for a couple of hours and jogged down the beach to the Don Cesar Hotel in St. Petersburg, Florida.  I sat in the same beach chair where my mom lay hours before she slipped into a coma, the same spot where I poured saltwater on her feet and fed her ice chips in the sun alongside my little sister and Hospice nurses.

I sat in that chair and sobbed.  I mourned how I never really got to know her as a woman; her disappointments or fears; her heartbreak or her heart's longing.  And I prayed to God that He will give me the years on this planet to one day share similar secrets with my own daughter.

So on this birthday weekend, I celebrate absolute appreciation for the gift of motherhood, especially the mother-daughter relationship.
I pledge to continue my quest to infuse Nicole's heart and mind with joy, confidence, kindness and an incredible belief in herself, that she can do ANYTHING she sets her mind to.

And with every birthday, I hope you, too, will cherish having another year of laughing alongside your own girl, watching her go after her dreams, and cheering her on every step of the way.

-Tracy