friday letter: dear mom

dear mom,

in all the years that i've heard you tell my birth story on my birthday i never stopped to think that it was your birth as a mom.  i was your first child and you became someone new the second i entered the world.  while i don't remember the two years i was an only child, i love hearing the stories about how we'd sit on the couch and look out the window singing "he'll be coming around the corner" while waiting for dad to come home from work.  i like hearing about how i wanted you to read me the lowly worm book so many times that you had to hide it from me and that i was such a chatterbox in the car that you had to turn the radio up and tell me that you couldn't hear me.  i like how you and dad got a kick out of me walking in my first pair of white walkers and how i'd stop walking, bend over and say "shoooes".  i'm so thankful that you took the time to be a room mom, my girl scout leader and make sure we tried every activity.  dance, soccer, ice skating, softball, band, c.c.d., basketball, swim team/lessons, the list goes on and on.  you must have been exhausted.  in high school i got a kick out of the fact that you were the unofficial shot put and discus team mom because you never missed a meet. you withstood some nasty weather.  i'll never forget having some friends over and having one of them sit down on the living room couch with you and our yearbook.  she was explaining to you who all the people were, who liked who, who dated who, etc and you were genuinely interested.  you blessed me with an education and wrote me a letter every week of my freshman year of college.  i never once wrote you back.  i took it for granted that moms did that.  i don't think all of them did and i'm sorry i never took the time to write back.  remember when i had mono so bad my sophomore year that i had to come home?  when i was ready to go back we stayed in the union club hotel so i didn't have to walk too far to class.  we laid in bed and watched the golden girls.  when i was in class you brought groceries to my apartment and made my bed so it would be ready when i got back to real college life.  you supported me in my decision to go to law school and looked so proud the day i got my j.d.  i introduced you to a friend of mine.  i think you knew i'd marry king louie that day and i'm grateful you kept reminding me how wonderful he was even when i was unsure about what to do about our relationship.  you've accepted king louie as your son and i'm thankful for that.  even when you and he gang up on me.  you were understand and supportive when i told you i was sick and i needed help.  i know you weren't sure why it was happening but you never gave up on me.  it could tell i was breaking your heart on the plane ride to the treatment facility.  you were so brave to leave me there to figure out what i needed to do to make myself well.  this was something that you couldn't do for me and that must have been so hard.  one letter a week was a drop in the bucket compared to what you did for me in those four months.  i cherished every letter and package but what i will never be able to repay is how you took care of king louie for me while i was away.  thank you.  now that i'm home and doing well i love emailing you every day at work and getting your email.  it is one of the highlights of my day.  i'm so glad i started going to church with you and dad on sundays.  it keeps me grounded and in touch with my faith.  one day i hope we can continue the tradition of hitting the outlet malls during the week like we used to on school breaks.  this time i pray that it is with my being a mom and you being a grandmother.  i know you'll be amazing.  and now i don't know how to finish this letter to the most amazing woman i know.  i'm truly blessed.

happy mother's day to all of you out there who have kids, are expecting kids, would like to have kids or are a mother figure in someone's life.  you're touching lives in more ways than you can imagine.  happy mother's day.

~poptart yogini~