...TO MY MOTHER

Dear Mom,

Tomorrow is Mother's Day. It will be my sixth Mother's Day (my how time flies!). I never had any doubt how much you loved me, but I didn't quite understand until I had children of my own. And what AMAZING children they are! Isn't motherhood the best!? I love to wake up each morning to Addie climbing in bed with me. I love to listen to Konner's silly jokes and to the stories about his "adventures" each day. We are going to welcome a new baby to our family this winter...if it's a girl, we plan to name it after you. They are the light of my life, the apples of my eye, and all the other corny cliques I can think of! I feel so blessed to be their Mother. I know this is how you felt about me too.

Tomorrow will also be my eighth Mother's Day without you and every year I miss you more and more. I miss your advice on boys and whether or not to marry Hubs (but that was clearly a no-brainer!). I miss your silliness...my kids love PeeWee Herman too! I miss your kindness and think of it often when I have a mean streak. I miss your talent and craftiness...I have sewing projects I could use your advice on. I miss sharing a yummy treat with you on a "sisters' get away". I miss your recommendations of a good book. I miss feeling proud to be with the most beautiful and classy Mom around! I miss your advice on how to be a good Mom...because you really were the best! And I miss the way you made me feel so special even when I had done nothing note-worthy. I read this the other day and thought of you:

"There were two things about Mama. One is she always expected the best out me. And the other is that then no matter what I did, whatever I came home with, she acted like it was the moon I had just hung up in the sky and plugged in all the stars. Like I was that good." (The Bean Tree by Barbara Kingsolver)

That's how you made me feel and I hope I can give my children that same gift.

So tomorrow, on Mother's Day, I'll be busy getting kids ready for church and cleaning up breakfast and making beds and wiping messy hands and cooking dinner and helping Primary children....but mostly I'll be thinking about you and the legacy you left me of the kind of Mother I hope to be.

I love you, Mom! Happy Mother's Day!