Thank you to my mother

Thank you for letting all of your children swim and enjoy the water, even though you were terrified of it and probably imagined our watery graves a thousand times.

Thank you for nursing us in a time when women didn't.

Thank you for being passionately in love with our father all of your life.

Thank you for teaching us to love Jesus and other people.

Thank you for cooking us so much good food.

Thank you for teaching me how to iron.

Thank you for trying to make us beautiful with all those terrible perms.

Thank you for the freedom to roam our neighborhoods and the woods.

Thank you for praying for me.

Thank you for loving children and passing on that love to us.

Thank you for being silly and enjoying the silly things in life.

Thank you for being brave and getting your ears pierced with your granddaughter.

Thank you for Jonathan, for wanting and loving that last special child.

Thank you for seeing and loving all the lost children that passed through your life.

Thank you for your strong alto voice and all the beautiful hymns.

Thank you for giving up your soap operas when you were convinced that it was the right thing to do.

Thank you for the little pieces of chocolate that the fairies put under our pillow near Christmas time.

Thank you for being our resolute and embarrassing cheerleader in all of our sporting events.

Thank you for the way your heart always broke with mine.

Thank you for loving my children with all of your heart.

Thank you for loving my husband as if you had birthed him.

Thank you for giving me a love of God and goodness and loving my neighbor.

Thank you for loving this strange daughter who frightened you and confused you.

Thank you for your honesty.

Thank you for letting me give a little back when you were in need.

Thank you for giving me life and love and the experience of having you for a mother.