To My Wonderful Mom:
I've woken up to the sunshine in six different countries this year, wishing I could just sit and have coffee with you. The hardest part of being on the World Race is being away from my family, especially my mom. I have taken a lot of time reflecting on how I've lived my life and I've come to conclusion that I have not loved people well. I have not appreciated or loved you the way you deserve. So I'd like to take note of the things I truly appreciate about you:
Thank you for being there to kiss my boo boos and kill the bees that stung me at Pheasant Run.
Also, thank you for letting me take care of myself like the time I knocked my front teeth in falling off my bike and marched myself into our house to put them back in place myself.
Thank you for letting me play outside every day after school and making me get my homework done after.
Thank you for keeping your cool and never letting your crazy kids see how frustrated you were with us.
Thank you for rolling your eyes at my punk rock outfit to express how silly you thought it was but let me wear it anyway.
Thank you for speaking life into me when I thought I didn't want to live anymore, for letting me know there was a light at the end of that dark tunnel.
Thank you for always pulling through for me when I needed you, like buying ink for the printer on the day my portfolio was due and I had procrastinated putting the whole thing together. Or for rescuing me when I locked myself out of the house after a grave shift, in the middle of winter, with no access to a car.
I am thankful that we can laugh hysterically, argue and whine, cry together, be alone and have a dinner party all in the same day.
Thank you for allowing me to express my right to fail but reminding that when in darkness, not to forget what I saw in the light.
Thank you for seeing my true beauty and potential even in the midst of drug addiction, anger, and depression.
Thank you for never turning your back on me even when I'd turned my own back on hope for myself.
Thank you for never saying "I told you so" but for inviting me back with love to escape abuse.
Thank you for always being a safe place and for pushing me towards health and happiness even when is was the harder road to take.
Thank you for waking up early to Skype with me and listen to my ideas and plans I have for living out the rest of my life. And thank you for your willingness and excitement to be a part of it.
Thank you for your confidence in me; for believing how wonderful and smart I was even when my decisions didn't reflect the great woman you knew I'd become one day.
Thank you for being the perfect balance of mother and best friend.
And finally, thank you for telling me to stop making excuses about why I can't or shouldn't and to just GO on the World Race.
Love,
the baby of the family
PS. I know it's difficult but bring the parking nazi some lemonade 😉
