Who's your favorite Role Model and Why?

Yes, I'm posting this early...free time, I take it whenever I can get it.
Crazy Hip Blog Mama's Carnival Topic of the week:
Who's your favorite Role Model and Why

Ok, I'm starting this off, without even knowing who this is. I have ALWAYS struggled with this, so when I read that this would be my first Carnival topic EVER, I rolled my eyes and thought AS IF!? This is all about growth though right? Practice writing, practice connection, it's all part of the "plan". So here goes.

Role Model - a person whose behavior in a particular role is imitated by others.
**Cringe*** Ok, my favorite role model in life, not as a mom, not as wife, but as a whole person would have to be my stepmom. My stepmom has played a very active loving role in my life since I was 4 years old. I was your typical kid, and found every opportunity to criticize that role as stepmother and taunted her with the typical mouthy remarks like "you're not my mother!", "but my mom lets me!" etc. The list of lines I wish I could take back is long. I guess it was around the time I had a daughter of my own that I realized how invested this woman was in me, not as the daughter of my father, but as a person. She treated me as her own, and despite my awful behavior at times, stood her ground, and vowed to be a positive role model in my life, even if meant loosing out on a mother-ish daughter relationship. She didn't kiss my ass to make right by my father. She loved me to make right by my father, and with that came rules (plenty of them) and expectations. I look back now and realize that there was never a time in my life when her best interests came before mine. She taught me that honesty is always the answer, and that everyone has their own story. She has always played devils advocate, or so it seemed to the inexperienced kid that I was. If someone screwed up, she always talked me through what they might be going through, or the reason why they might have treated me they way they did (much to my dismay at times). She taught me to give people the benefit of the doubt, and that sometimes you have just have to walk a mile in someones shoes, and sometimes that's just not possible, and you just have to accept it and move on. She's taught me how to give unconditionally, accept gracefully, and how doing both as often as possible will make your life so much richer.

Gosh, I could really go on and on about all that I have learned from her, and why she's such a positive role model in my life, there's just so much she's done to help mold me in to the person I have and will become. She's taught me so much, and continues to do so. I figure if I'm going to be half the person she is, I have a LONG way to go, and she has a LOT more teaching to do.
:)

South Padre...red faced Nana with her margarita! Nana always gets a little silly after just a few sips. The best entertainment around.



Nana and sweet baby Keller


Nana with Kel at Ashley's 10 Birthday party