Mother. Mom. Mommy. Ma. Madre. Mama. Mum.
However you refer to yours, you know the respect this title deserves. She’s the one who changed your diapers, kissed your forehead after singing you to sleep, drove you to the mall as a preteen, talks to you about crushes (whether you want to or not), makes your favorite dinner when you come home to visit (or when you leave the country for a year), and is ultimately the one you can take anything to and still receive all the mushy love from. At least that’s how it is for me, and I couldn’t be any luckier for it.
This is a letter to my favorite lady.
Mom, you are simply astonishing to me. A wonder of a woman; you are the most stylish professor on campus (all my friends say so), your quick wit catches everyone off guard due to your sweet demeanor and leaves them rolling in fits of laughter, you persevere where most would fail, and above all you have the biggest heart of anyone I know. I truly mean it; but don’t start blushing on me now because I have a lot more to say!
Now, there are things you do that the rest of the family thinks you are crazy for. Your growing love for tableware has them all worried as packages arrive on a weekly (daily, but that’s our little secret…) basis at the doorstep. They may not see the need for the lemon shaped salt and pepper shakers just yet, but I know to expect them at the afternoon tea you’ll be hosting for the party you’ve pre planned for when spring finally decides to pop around. I also know the white plates with the hand painted lemons will make an appearance on top of the green linen placemats you picked up three months prior too. They will say the finger sandwiches and mini scones are delectable without noticing they have been artfully placed on the desert tower, they will plop the pillowy whipped cream from the deli (that we all love so much) and the gooey lemon curd on their plates without taking note of the leaf shaped bowl they come from, and they’ll certainly not notice the flatware’s handles that are engraved with vines and leaves. Sure they will say the table looks ‘pretty’ or ‘nice’, but you and I can do the real oooing and ahhing over it all while we set the table to make up for their less than enthusiastic response. I mean come on right; these are plates we are talking about here people!!! Show some appreciation for the art!
I can already imagine the day you bequeath the cabbage shaped bowls to me as I move into a, hopefully less than, dingy apartment on my writer’s salary. You’ll say it’s to symbolize good luck and give me the “you can do it” look. You’ll have also probably searched for months to find wrapping paper that has cabbages, or something equally adorable, on it and have the box topped with a big pink bow, because that’s just the kind of lady you are. You go the extra mile for everyone you love, put your whole heart into everything you do, and cheer on every wild dream anyone has.
You really have supported me in all my endeavors, no matter how ‘out there’ they may be. We all know I’m no sportsball star, but when I wanted to play soccer you signed me up and bought me shin guards. When I wanted to be the next (female) Tony Hawk you got me a skateboard…but now that I think about it, no helmet or elbow/knee pads; so I assume you knew that dream was truly fleeting huh? Then came high school and I told you I wanted to pursue dance seriously. You were so on board that you found an arts school for me to attend and (despite me being years behind and there being a slim chance I would ever be a prima ballerina) paid for private lessons, pink satin shoes, and loads of tights and leotards. Every hopeful dream I’ve ever wanted to pursue you have pushed me to do so, and that’s probably definitely why I find myself writing this letter on a thirteen hour bus ride from Cambodia to Vietnam.
You got ‘inspiration’ added to your, already quite lengthy, title pretty early on for me too. I may have been a wee little one when you were going to school to become a nurse, but I remember watching you study (and sometimes even helping, do you recall when we learned the word phalanges?) and thinking, “Hey, I should probably work that hard too if I want to be something as cool as a nurse when I grow up.” You’ve always made me want to seek after more, because I have watched you work hard to be the best version of you. Throughout the years you have continued your education and kicked butt doing it, your style has evolved (‘Are those new shoes?’ Sound familiar?), you’ve started a business with dad, and you have furthered your career by moving from a managerial position in the hospital to now passing on your knowledge to your students, who love you very much by the way. If anyone just takes a peak at how accomplished you are, its no wonder us kids all have such big aspirations! I know you inspire Liz to speak her mind and state what she really desires, David certainly wants to be in the medical field because you gave him that logical left brain, and as for me, well I think you know all about my big plans because you let me take over the conversation with whatever I’ve got in the works (for now its write lots of books and live all over the world so you can visit at the holidays, totally attainable) that week!
You make a house a home with all your stellar finds. You complete the outfit, not some accessory. You are the Lorelei to my Rory. You don’t have an addiction to Goodwill online auctions, they have an addiction to you. You gave me my creative bones. Your homemade chicken noodle soup and cheesy biscuits will be the first recipe in the cookbook we will write together (are you excited for that new venture?). You push all of us to be and do whatever we want. You continue to amaze me every day. You never miss an opportunity to learn and grow. Your big heart has instilled a genuine love for everyone I meet in me. You have made me who I am today. And you are truly the best mother a daughter could ask for.
Happy Mother’s Day Mom, I love you.
Candy
