In honor of Mother's Day, I've decided to compile a list of my favorite "Mom" characters in books. The moms that make us feel all warm and fuzzy inside and sometimes make us wish they were our mom. The moms that kick ass and bake cookies at the same time.
1. Mrs. Weasely, "Harry Potter series"
Why she is awesome: Molly Weasley is mother of five gingers, that in itself is pretty amazing. She does all of the cooking and cleaning, takes care of her husband and children, and still has time to fight in a wizard war and call someone a "bitch" for trying to hurt her daughter. I think it's safe to say that we all kind of wish Molly Weasely was our mom.
2. Marmee, "Little Women"
Why she is awesome: Trying to raise four very different daughters, while her husband is off at war is hard work. Especially when Amy is a pain in the ass, Beth is always sick and frail and in constant need of care, Jo is always whining about her identity crisis and her place the world, and Meg goes off and marries a poor guy and pops out twins. Marmee handles all of this with grace, poise, and incessant optimism, despite the March girls many problems and monetary issues. Love you Marmee!
3. Aibileen Clark, "The Help"
Why she is awesome: Aibileen grieves over the death of her own son, but still has overwhelming love and affection for the little girl that takes care. She is more of a mother to the girl she cares for than the own girl's mother, who constantly remarks about her daughter being chubby and blatantly ignores her. Thanks to Aibileen we will always remember these important words, "You is kind, you is smart, and you is important".
4. Tina Fey, "Bossypants"
Why she is awesome: Alright, so Tina Fey is in fact a real person and not a fictional character. Still, as a real-life mom Tina Fey gives us a comedic perspective on life as a mom. Just read this prayer she wrote for her daughter and you'll understand:
First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.
May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it's the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach's eye, not the the Beauty.
When the Crystal Meth is offered,
May she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half
And stick with Beer.
Guide her, protect her
When crossing the street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the nearby subway platform, crossing 86th Street, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called "Hell Drop," "Tower of Torture," or "The Death Spiral Rock N' Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith," and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.
Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance.
Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes
And not have to wear high heels.
What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I'm asking You because if I knew, I'd be doing it, Youdammit.
May she play the Drums to the fiery rhythm of her Own Heart with the sinewy strength of her Own Arms, so she need Not Lie With Drummers.
Grant her a Rough Patch from twelve to seventeen.
Let her draw horses and be interested in Barbies for much too long,
For Childhood is short -- a Tiger Flower blooming
Magenta for one day --
And Adulthood is long and Dry-Humping in Cars will wait.
O Lord, break the Internet forever,
That she may be spared the misspelled invective of her peers
And the online marketing campaign for Rape Hostel V: Girls Just Wanna Get Stabbed.
And when she one day turns on me and calls me a Bitch in front of Hollister,
Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends,
For I will not have that Shit. I will not have it.
And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord,
That I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 a.m., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back.
"My mother did this for me once," she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby's neck.
"My mother did this for me." And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a Mental note to call me. And she will forget.
But I'll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes.
Amen.
5. Catelyn Stark, "A song of ice and fire"
Why she is awesome: I'll admit, Catelyn Stark is not my favorite character in the series. She has a tendancy to treat Jon Snow like crap, and that really pisses me off. How could you hate Jon Snow? He's adorable! Ok, maybe if he was your husband's bastard son from that time he cheated on you...But regardless of her icy tone towards Jon, Catelyn loves her family and most importantly her children above everything. She backs her son Robb with every decision he makes (even though he's only 16 and waaay too young to be making tough life decisions), and Catelyn always acts with poise and confidence. Mama Stark is indeed a badass.
6. Mildred Pierce, "Mildred Pierce"
Why she is awesome: A woman in the 1930's who separates from her deadbeat husband in order to find a better life for her and her daughters, pretty awesome in my book. This didn't happen much in the depression era, so kudos to this lady for taking a chance when it wasn't socially acceptable. Mildred works to feed her daughters and eventually ends up owning her own successful restaurant. All this and dealing with an evil daughter who hates her guts and pretty much ruins Mildred's life...well she definitely gets an award for being an amazing mom.
7. Sally Blofis, "Percy Jackson series"
Why she is awesome: Sally is a single mom who works a full time job to take care of her son, Percy, who is ALWAYS getting into trouble wherever he goes. Percy gets kicked out of every school known to man, and yet his mom is still positive and encouraging no matter what happens. She might be giving the kid some slack because he's the son of Poseidon and monsters are always trying to kill him, but nonetheless that's a lot for a woman to handle.
8. Hester Prynn, "The Scarlet Letter"
Why she is awesome: Yes, Hester Prynn is considered a slut and ends up wearing a scarlet "A" on her clothing as a punishment for adultery, but she never stops loving her daughter. She is faced with social humiliation every day and yet continues her life as normal as possible and cares for her child the best she can.
9. Melanie Wilkes, "Gone with the Wind"
Why she is awesome: Melanie is one of my favorite characters of all time. She is kind, sweet, and strong when she needs to be. She never sees the bad in people, only the good. She wants nothing more than the love her husband and give him a "Partridge" sized family, but her own health prevents her from having more than one child. Even through pain and physical trauma, Melanie is always upbeat and never fails to stand up for the people she cares about (even when they don't deserve it).
10. Mom from "Where the Wild Things Are"
Why she is awesome: She has a loud, messy, and yes wild little boy. Being the mom of three year old, myself, I highly sympathize with this woman. It's not easy dealing with little boys who would sooner throw their own feces on the wall than eat their vegetables. But all kids are wild at heart and eventually realize there is no place like home. Moms just have to patiently wait for that moment of clarity to set it and then be there with a hug.
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