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My mother is:
The woman who gave me life after a dozen hours in labor
And then gave me a sister, because I told her it couldn’t be a boy
Who gladly took in another daughter, my best friend, when she lost the mother in her life
She taught me that if a boy doesn’t value you for the content of your mind, then he isn’t worth your time
She is the first one to tear up at girly movies and then tell me to shut up when I point it out
Who proved she could be more stubborn than me when I was six and I threatened to leave home, and she handed me a suitcase
She is my biggest supporter and my most honest critic
Who still crawls into my bed to cuddle on Sunday mornings
And is constantly reminding me to spell check everything I write
Who taught me how to recognize great lyricism through the music of Billy Joel, Carly Simon, and The Eagles
And fashioned a household that all my friends feel welcome in, even when I am not there
She is the peacemaker who made sure that even when I fought with my sister I always understood that she is my greatest ally in this life, and my best friend
She taught me that sometimes, after a particularly hard day, its ok to eat ice cream for dinner
She is the educator who showed me how to read nutrition labels, and then came to regret it when I started reading the ones on the food she was eating
The one who sees the obvious simple solution that everyone else overlooks
The woman who believes that life cannot be properly lived unless the laundry is done
Who taught me that there is no amount of stress that a trip to the beach can’t remedy
And made sure that home was a place I would never be hesitant to leave, but always be excited to return to
The person who genetically gifted me a talent for writing and a tendency to be long winded
Her patience is infinite, and her ability to forgive, legendary
My mother, whose fundamental flaw is that she will never be able to spread her fingers wide enough to catch all the pain she wants to heal
All three of her children
She supported me in my decision to go abroad, and even though I can’t spend this Mothers Day with her I am sure she would have had it no other way
Dear Mrs. Lapointe,
On this wonderful (windy in south africa), mother’s day i just wanted to thank you for all that you have done for me. You have always done your best to be there for me, especially when I needed someone to talk to. You have always been a big part of my life and I am so grateful that our relationship could grow over the past 15 years. I love you very much and am really excited to see you when I get home. I miss you!
Love,
Jaime
Happy Mothers Day
I love you Mom