Happy Mother's Day!
To ALL mothers! Everywhere. But especially to my very own mother…the one who couldn’t tell me to “run along home,” when she grew tired of me. The one who put up with my fears and tears throughout the years. The one who was volunteered to bake pies and make lasagna when she least expected it. The one who opened the front door when I invited my 2nd grade class to “Come see the baby!” The one who secretly watched my sporting events from afar because I was too shy to have anyone I knew watch me play. The one who laughed as hard as we did at our jokes…that weren’t even funny. The one who brewed one more pot of coffee when I pulled all-nighters to finish school papers. The one who explained that the ugly words that we heard others say was simply a sign of a “limited vocabulary,” and would not be tolerated in our home. The one who applauded, encouraged, questioned. The one who moved in for a week when her first grandchildren (twins!) were born -- and washed all the windows! The one who showed us what marriage should look like. The one who loved her own mother. The one who loved being a mother and then a grandmother.
And to all my surrogate mothers: Aunt Wanda. Aunt Mary. Kathryn. Mrs. Bickart. Star(s). Thank you for being available to me. Thank you for your care.
But, Mom, you had the day-to-day grind. Thanks for loving me unconditionally. And though you are weaker physically, your mind is still as “tarp as a shack!” (At least during the first half of the day…) We look forward to making many more memories with you. Think about how you want your grandchildren, not to mention your children and friends, to remember you in these later years…and live accordingly! You still have much to teach us. Press on! Be YOU!
You are loved.
