Uncommon Moms

Mother’s day is just around the corner—and we’re celebrating by sharing a bit about the fantastic moms that helped us grow into uncommon individuals!

Here, Ugooder Emma, shares a bit about her mom, Mary Jo.

What’s one of your favorite memories with your mom?

When I was little we lived in the tiniest apartment in Dallas, TX, because my mother was a single parent and it was all she could provide at the time. She always wanted to give me a big yard to play in, so every summer she would improvise. We would blare the radio in her Ford Pinto, in front of our stoop, and have “water fun” outside in our bathing suits. She would wash the car and I would play in the sprinkler while we both belted what we believed to be the words of the song (usually totally wrong words, by the way) and dance.

She didn’t always have a lot to give me in the way of luxuries, but these days out in the yard were some of the best summer days I can remember to date. When fall and winter would creep up on us in mid October, I would be heart broken to have to let go of those moments we shared!

What valuable lessons have you learned from your mama that you couldn’t have learned without her?

Being a single mother, I learned from her that women can be just as powerful, invincible and strong as any man on the planet. She showed me that one woman could be more parent than any child could possibly wish for. The strength, confidence and beauty I saw in her became the things I looked for in the mirror every day after my daughter was born.

What quality does your mom possess that you admire?

She is always smiling. Her sunshiny disposition is something that I like to think made her (not so easy) life a little easier. No matter what curve balls life threw at her, she always just made the most of it. She moved us from Ann Arbor, Michigan all the way to Dallas in ’83, where she only had one brother and a dream, and made for us the best life  I could have wished for. I always attributed her success in doing this to her amazing ability to see the good in every situation.

How are you and she alike? How are you different?

We both tend to see the best in everything and everyone. She passed her confidence, independence and sunshiny disposition onto me, and I thank her for it every chance I get. We both very much enjoy a good country song; windows down, singing at the top of our lungs kinda drive the first few days of spring. There aren’t many differences in us, but I guess you could say she has settled down and I’m still out there looking for the next big adventure!