To My Wonderful, Insane, Somewhat Incompetent Mother

Never could I even dream of summing up everything you've ever gave me in a page or two long letter. You, my dear, have almost single-handedly turned me into the woman I am today, and I could never thank you enough.

In my short twenty years of life, I don’t know of one person who has been there for me, cared about me, or made me laugh more than you. As far back as I remember, I have been a momma’s girl, and with good reason. I think you underestimate the impact you have made on all of us, and your abilities as our mother.  While you spend your days worried about the amount of money you make to support us, we spend ours counting the ways in which you’ve touched our hearts. You’ve been successful in more ways that what money has to show. You’ve had four, in my opinion, great kids, who love you to death.  You were always there to wake us up in the morning, see us off to school, be there to make us dinner, and help us with our homework (some more than others).  You’ve seen us through thick and thin, even times when I thought I wouldn’t make it through. Every little day or moment that you pass off as nothing, I promise I will remember for the rest of my life.

You and I have grown over the years.  We started out with a distinct mother-daughter relationship. I listened to you, you took care of me, and we’d spend our nights curled up on the couch with a bowl of ice cream and a romantic comedy.  Things have changed now. I’m not just curling up on the couch with my mother anymore. I’m curling up on the couch with my best friend. You’re the woman I can come home from a stressful day, and sip wine and eat chocolate with, expecting a good laugh or two.  I look forward to your days off so we can go to the market, or out to lunch. I can talk to you whenever I need help, and you’ll always listen (or pretend to). We’ve become partners; making family decisions together, sharing household responsibilities, and making sure everyone else is taken care of. You also cause me more frustration than any person I’ve ever known; with your indecisiveness, obliviousness, and somewhat nagging personality.  I’m beginning to take comfort in coming home to a to-do list, or a request to make dinner. Know what I mean, Vern?

Do me one favor, never discredit yourself for anything you do.  You always have been and always will be a fantastic mother, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, and human being. You have a way of making everyone feel loved and cared for, even if you don’t realize it. Know this. If you ever feel like you’re walking through life alone, I’m always there for you. I’ll stop whatever I’m doing, come running from wherever I am, or do whatever I have to be by your side, because that’s what you’ve done for me. You’ll never have to worry about being by yourself, because I promise I will never leave you. I’ve told you before, and I’ll tell you again, whoever marries me better love you, because you’re not going anywhere.

Just in case I don’t tell you enough, I love you, Mom.  And thank you for everything you‘ve ever done for me, you incompetent ass.

40 days and 40 lifechangers

These next forty days are something to be cherished. As I think about all God has done for me, It makes me think of all the other people that have changed my life, that I never necessarily thanked, or took the time to appreciate. The next forty days, I will choose someone every day who has made a great influence on my life, and write them a letter.  Maybe then, I will grow a better appreciation for those in my life.

The Simple Act of Caring

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”
-Leo F. Buscaglia

It’s in the hard times, that you start to sort your family, friends, and everyday acquaintances. You start to realize who takes the time to make sure you’re okay, lend a listening ear, or show that they’re thinking about you. It’s then, when you truly begin to value those people.

If you would have asked me a few years ago whether or not I thought I was a good friend, I’d say probably not.  Call it stubborn teenage years, but I never really cared about the feelings of another. If I saw a girl crying in the hallway, I’d laugh most times.  If something good happened to one of my friends, I never took the time to congratulate them. Little things like this, seemingly meaningless, have grown to become a very important part of my everyday life.

I like to consider myself a good friend. I will tell anyone who asks, I don’t have hundreds of friends. I have a fairly small group of awesome people that I consider more family than anything else, that’s how close we are. These are the people I love more than anything, and genuinely do care about.  I’ll travel two hours to hang out and cheer them up, I’ll stand in line at the post office for forty-five minutes, just to make sure they get their Valentine’s Day gifts on time, and I’ll text them to see if the speech they’ve been stressing over went okay. None of that seems like work to me, because they are 100% worth my time.

Likewise, these are the few who have shown me nothing but love and caring, and I can’t thank them enough. A text with and inspirational quote always seems to show up on my cell just as I’m hitting a low point, they call to see how my doctors appointments go, or come sit with me when I get my wisdom teeth out. They’re the best.

You’d be surprised how far a little text, phone call, or small gesture of care can go. Best way to make someone’s day? Let them know they’re thought of.