Real Moms of the Metro: Nominate an Awesome Mom - MetroFamily Magazine
MetroFamily Magazine

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Real Moms of the Metro: Nominate an Awesome Mom

by Callie Collins

Reading Time: 3 minutesย 

MetroFamily's calendar is a terrific resource for Oklahoma City family fun and this blog typically focuses on  events throughout our area, of which there are often a dozen or more on any given day. Weekend Picks, our Thursday newsletter, boasts the best of upcoming weekend events too, with five can't-miss activities for the next week as well. I say all the time that there's an incredible variety here in the metro once you know where to look. However, I think it's fair to admit that not every moment is fun as a mom and there are no real weekends off from what we do every day. 

"A, B, C, D…" 
"Shhhhh! Can you just stop that?" I glared down at my toddler, Isaac, who looked back at me, hurt. 
"Why can't I sing, Mama?" 
So many reasons why the singing was bothersome: because Isaac's newborn brother seems to have reflux and had only then fallen asleep; because I hadn't slept in two days and was starting to feel desperate; because the headache I'd had for those two days worsened to a migraine and shrill tones make me wince. The question hung in the air. I immediately regretted shushing him, of course, since guilt seems to be part an inevitable part of the mothering equation. Patience isn't a virtue I'm working on right now. It's a difficult life stage but this is what we do with toddlers and newborns, as mothers, all the time, besides everything else going on in our lives as women.

There are a lot of awesome moms. I'm inspired each month by our Real Moms of the Metro column, which features an outstanding woman raising children and doing other things too, often a pillar of the community. We have featured some familiar faces like OU Coach Sherri Coale and Sarah Roberts of recent Super Bowl fame. Others are lesser known but just as influential and important to their causes. What I like to read about, though, is what makes each human, the "real" part. We ask about what provides energy and comfort to each, what she's reading or where she finds inspiration. The interviews are relatable even if each woman's achievements far exceed my own struggle to hold a newborn and a laptop at the same time. Volunteers, foster parents, business owners and thought leaders are just some of those interviewed. I want to know how we all do what it is that we do often in quiet but exemplary ways, often while holding tiny hands or guiding other, bigger ones.

I'm sure you know an awesome mom. This month at MetroFamily, we're asking you to tell us about her. She could be featured in our May edition with a special Mother's Day tribute. The prize? A spa getaway at The Artesian Hotel, for both the winner and the nominator. Everyone needs to recharge and your nominee is no exception, even though what she does every day might make it seem otherwise. The nomination process is straightforward: just fill out the form at this link and describe, in 250 words or less, what makes this candidate stand out. The last day to participate is Feb. 28.

The entries we receive are amazing. I was new at MetroFamily last year when we read them aloud in a meeting and took turns weighing the merits of each. A staff vote settled the tie but I remember being surprised at their examples thinking that I wish we could honor them all, truly, because there wasn't a single nomination that failed to inspire. It's a tough choice, trust me. 

Your nominee's example is worth writing about and I hope you'll share her story. No matter what life stage we find ourselves in, stories like these help us look outside of ourselves and see what's possible, even when babies fuss, toddlers sing loudly and we are tired.

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