For My Mom…

Mommy bloggers live for Mother’s Day. There are hilarious posts out there right now about the worst gifts you can give a mother, or sentimental posts about the sappy cards their children made for them. However, I’m not going to be one of those bloggers today. Don’t get me wrong, my children did make me adorable, wonderful cards with animals that are finally recognizable. (There are only so many times you can say, “Sweetie, how about YOU name the things in this picture?”) And I love them more than I could ever express in a blog. But today is different. Today is the first Mother’s Day without my grandmother. But harder than that, it’s the first mother’s day for my mother without her own mother.

So I thought I would do something different today. I would take a break from my snarky sarcastic view of the world and write a letter to my mother.

Dear Mom,

I love to tell people the story of how after your father died, you told your mother that she could live with you and Dad. Especially because you and Dad had only been married 5 years at that time. I love telling people the math on that – that you lived with your mother for over fifty years.

And you always took care of her. From teaching her how to use a television remote (that really blew her mind) to showing her how not to set off the house alarm each time she left (she never really grasped that one). Then, when she got ill, you never left her side. You showed her grace and dignity and let her pass knowing that she was loved and cared for completely. I can’t imagine that kind of strength.

And I want you to know that you have taught me that strength. You have taught me how to appreciate the moments where we sit together drinking tea, or when we squish ourselves into dressing rooms just so we can help each other and laugh at some of our choices together. I am proud to be your daughter. I am proud that I have a mother who I had the chance to watch graduate college, have an amazing teaching career and have students still tell her how much they loved having her as a teacher. I know that if I have half the determination that you have had in life, I’ll be a success.

Thank you for loving me, my husband and our children. I can imagine that today will have its tough moments, but please know that there is no doubt that she is sipping tea up in heaven looking down at us and smiling. Plus, I’m betting that she is eating some of your Christmas cookies while she is doing it. She snuck enough of those from you to last a lifetime…

Happy Mother’s Day Mom. I love you.

Love,

Your favorite child (sorry, couldn’t resist…)