I know I don't tell you this enough, but know that I think that you are the most amazing mother and I could not imagine any better person that I would want to call "Mommy." I see what you do everyday and all that you have done for me over the last twenty years and I see your selfless love in every aspect of your life. You loved me even before I had a name, before you even knew that I would be your little girl.
People think that because I have many siblings that perhaps my mom's love was spread a little too thin among us. What they don't know is that you were someone whose capacity to love only grew with the number of kids you had. I didn't feel less love for having several siblings; I felt more loved. You, mother dearest, did more than care for my physical needs: you helped me spiritually and emotionally. They say that consistency is key in raising children--you consistently provided for me, constantly loved me, and were (and are) always there for me.
You loved me so much that you switched careers from microbiologist to full-time schoolteacher, director of home operations, principal, gardener, chef, baker, smoothie-maker, seamstress, the "find-it" professional, food-preserver, chauffeur, nurse, masseuse, story-teller, answerer of unanswerable questions...the list goes on, but it all falls under the job description for full-time mom. Other moms look up to you for a reason; you somehow manage to keep everything under control, make every appointment, rarely forget to pick up or drop off anyone.
"Your kids are so well-behaved and are such good workers!" Why? Because we have a mom who shows us what it means to work at everything we do wholeheartedly.
Some people may have thought that we were learning less than in "regular school", but we learned so much more from you than we ever could stuck in a classroom. When I did go to high school in tenth grade, all of my teachers were impressed with my work--who else could I attribute that to but you? You taught me more than "reading, writing, and arithmetic"--you taught me how to bake, cook, sew, embroider, cross-stitch, crochet, knit, garden, split and stack wood, how to care for babies and younger children, organization, cleanliness; you instilled in me a love of learning and reading and knowledge, of serving others with joy, and showed me what it means to work honestly and without expectation of recognition.
When I was scared, you let me sleep beside you. When I was sick all over the stairway, you cleaned it up, cleaned me up, and made me a new bed downstairs on the couch, less than 30 feet from where you slept. When I was hungry at 2 a.m., you got up and made me a snack. When I was sad, you comforted me. When I was discouraged, you encouraged me. When I was excited, you were happy with me. When I wanted to do something that you were doing, you took the extra time to teach me. If I wanted to know more about something, you encouraged me to research it. When I wanted you to sing me a song before going to sleep, you sang "You are My Sunshine." When I went to bed, you always tucked me in and prayed with me: "sleep with the angels."
When I got a dozen splinters in my hand, you patiently picked them out. When I scraped my knees and elbows, you cleaned and bandaged my cuts. When I performed on stage, I knew that your face was in the crowd. When I call because I need to talk to you about anything, you never tell me that you don't have time; you listen to my rants about work and school and group projects. You followed through with what you said you would do. You kept me accountable. You hugged me everyday and said, "I love you," and I knew that you meant it.
Because of you, I know what it means to love fully, serve selflessly, and work diligently. You did not set unreasonable expectations for me; you were the model of the ideals that you encouraged me to strive for. Much of what I am today, I owe to you.
Who do I want to be like someday? I want to be like you.
I love you.
Happy Mother's Day.
