Why do I love Wonder Woman so much?

People ask me all the time, “As a grown-ass woman, why do you love Wonder Woman so much?”

In order to explain, I must first tell you a little bit about my mother, Catharine Ann Hampshire (Brown).

She was born in 1946, and was raised as a military brat, living in several places across the country, but primarily located in the Owen Sound area.

She graduated high school by the age of 16 and college by 18; however, her outstanding intelligence wasn't the only thing that made Cathy unique. It was most noticeably her dark hair, which had a white streak right down the middle.

In her younger years, she would try to dye the streak, but since it was a genetic birthmark and the pigment was different, the hair would often turn pink or purple, but never dark brown like the rest, so she decided to simply embrace it instead.

My mother started work as a model and had a successful career with a Toronto agency, but due to her love of children, she decided to become a teacher.

You see: beauty will always fade, but brains do not.

Cathy met my father (her soulmate) in 1969 and married him a couple months later.

A few years after that, my brother was born.

I arrived in the world to make his life hell in 1975, weighing an almost whopping 10 pounds, and since then, my mom has shown me the scars I left behind. (Again, I'm sorry!)

I grew up watching Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman on the small screen, as Diana Prince refused to obey whatever men told her to do, and they continued to underestimate her intelligence. Wonder Woman would “solve a war with love” and make liars tell the truth (a power all mothers seem to possess).

At this time, my mother was raising two small children, working on a 40 acre horse farm all day, driving a massive tractor for hay-baling season, and mucking 22 stalls (Google it kids, but be prepared to say, “Ew!”). Then, she would head to the gym to lift a few weights and make it home before we got home from school to make us dinner.

If that wasn't enough, my mom would prepare our lunches for the next day, and tuck us into bed every night, making sure we knew we were loved, we were special, and we were meant for amazing things in this world.

She also decided to take time off work from her teaching career until my brother and I were both old enough for school, but I guess my dad had an “OK” career at the time, so it was no big deal.

As most teenagers, I was a major struggle and challenged my mother almost daily, but despite saying she wanted to kill me on numerous occasions, she never ever did and that must have taken a lot of strength, on many levels!

Since then, I have idolized her. She has become my very best friend, and my mother has shown me what kind of woman I truly wish to become.

She always encourages me to be whatever I want to be, and never let anyone tell me otherwise.

She has told me to never give up, no matter what, and to never rely on anyone else to achieve my dreams.

Cathy is the type of person who quietly throws newspapers closer to the front door of neighbours, who may have health issues going to get it in the morning and they have absolutely no idea.

She does physiotherapy with stroke victims, even though she has no formal training, just because she wants to help ease their pain and improve their lives in any way she can.

She opens her home to strangers, is kind to people who are not kind to her, forgives her enemies, represents true class, and demonstrates that kindness is definitely NOT weakness.

If anyone needs help, if there's any excuse to host a party, if she can help any person in ANY way, my mother will be there. And she gives every piece of herself to everything she does.

She will honestly give the clothes of her back to anyone and, on one recent occasion, a friend who liked her new leather jacket, because “it looked better on her anyways”.

My mom actually wakes up every day thinking about all the horrors going on in the world and what she can personally do to change them. She feels the pain of people she has never met.

She thinks of things, I try to ignore... because they shouldn't be ignored.

I could write so much more about this incredible woman who inspires me every single day, but I'm sure many people stopped reading 10 seconds into this blog, so in summary:

My mother is extraordinary.

She never quits.

She never gives up.

And she never ceases to amaze me.

She is my superhero.

She IS Wonder Woman.

And THAT is why I love her so much!!!

Oh ya, and she just happened to looked like this too. (See below.)

Any more questions?

Happy Mother's Day to MY Wonder Woman.

:)

Laura xo