Happy Mother\’s Day Weekend!

Happy Mother\’s Day weekend! I am blessed with the best mama out there, and I can\’t wait to celebrate her this weekend. It\’ll be a little different, since we can\’t really go anywhere, and going out to eat still isn\’t much of an option, but we will make the most of this weekend with what we have. After all, the day is about celebrating our mothers, so as long as we are together, or able to communicate somehow, that\’s what matters!

In honor of Mother\’s Day, I\’d like to honor my mom by taking a trip down memory lane. Growing up, we went on many family adventures all over the place. We tried to go on a family vacation at least once every year, whether it was going as far as going to Disney World, or just to the other side of South Dakota for a few days in the Black Hills. Our family vacations were always something to look forward to, because we were able to spend some quality family time together.

Right before Molly and I started our last year of high school, we took a family vacation to Alaska. Even to this day, this was probably one of my favorite places I\’ve been to with my family. When we were planning the trip, my mom said the main reason she wanted to go to Alaska was because she had always wanted to see a glacier. At the time, I thought that was silly. She wanted to go all the way to Alaska to see a big block of ice?? But I really wanted to go, so I wasn\’t going to argue. It turned out to be the most memorable part of the trip. It was actually really cool to see one in person, and to share that memory with my mom made it even more special.

Flash forward a few years to when I was living in Virginia. My parents would come visit me all the time, and we would go on many adventures when they did come. There was always something new to do, and we never had a dull moment. That was one of my favorite parts about living out East, being able to make new memories with my family.

During my freshman year, I got really sick and had to have a procedure done. My mom didn\’t want me to go through it alone, so she hopped on a plane and came out to Virginia to be with me during that time. I will always appreciate that my mom did that for me. No matter how far away they are, your parents will always be there for you when you need them. 🙂 And of course, we spent some time exploring DC during the Cherry Blossom festival while she was there!

One of my favorite memories of my parents coming to visit was when they came out to celebrate my graduation from college in 2017. I know they weren\’t super thrilled about me going to school so far from home, but it was because of them that I was able to have so many unforgettable experiences during my college years, and I couldn\’t have made it through without them both. I am glad they were able to come celebrate this special moment with me.

Lately, I\’ve been getting into running a lot more. I\’ve been running a lot more frequently with both of my parents. A few weeks ago, my mom and I ran a virtual half marathon together, and it was great to make some memories doing what we love together. She\’s obviously more passionate about running than I am – or ever will be – but I still enjoy getting out there and putting in some miles with my mom. Growing up, I never ran much, instead I was swimming all the time. My mom never swam, in fact she doesn\’t even really know how to swim, but she was super supportive of my love of the sport. Either my mom or my dad would be at every swim meet cheering me on, and even when I was swimming in college, she would always shoot me a message to check in on how I did. It would be fun to swim with her, but I\’ll take running for now! I\’m glad it is something we can do together. 🙂

I hope all you mothers out there are able to spend some time with your loved ones, and get super spoiled this weekend. You have the hardest job in the world, and you deserve to have a weekend all about you.

To my mom: I love you so so much, and I am so lucky to have the best mom in the world. I can never say thank you enough for everything you have done for me. I am so glad I am back in South Dakota so I can spend some more time with you. Can\’t wait to make lots more memories with you!

Happy Mother\’s Day!

Until next time! 🙂

Megan Reiffenberger