When I was little, my Mom would read to me every night before I went to sleep. Every. Night. One of the books, the fairly popular Love You Forever by Robert Munsch, had a poem that she used to say to both my brother and me quite often:
I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always
As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be
Well, just like the little boy in the book, I've grown and grown. I'm not a little girl anymore, but I'll always be my Mom's baby. As I've grown, I've learned a lot more from her than just how to tie my shoes or drive a car. I look up to her not just as my mother, but also as a woman.
I've learned how valuable it is for a woman to be strong in her own right. For a woman to gain an education and be able to support herself. For a woman to be a complete person, not dependent on a man for her sole happiness and well being.
From time to time, my Mom and I have clashed. Okay quite a lot, especially when I was in high school. While things have evened out as I've gotten more mature, we still butt heads every now and then. But I wouldn't trade any of our arguments for anything in the world.
I love spending time with my Mom, whether it's going out for lunch or just hanging out at home. I love curling up with her to watch the latest episode of Cake Boss or America's Next Top Model.
I suppose it's a fact of life that women grow to look like their mothers. I can't say how many times I've had someone tell me how much I look like my Mom. We went somewhere recently where a waiter or someone said that we must be mother and daughter because he could see the resemblance.
Things haven't always been exactly easy in our family. We've had our fair share of troubles, but my Mom has always been the rock, the one to say "yeah, that sucks," pick herself up, and move on. Her strength is inspirational.
My Mom has always been supportive of the things my brother and I do. She's always been actively involved in our activities from leading Boy and Girl Scout committees and troops to coming to almost every Karate practice. She's always there for us.
I wish I could fully express how much I am thankful for my Mom. When I was 9 years old, she got very sick. We were in New York at the time and she had to go to the hospital. My brother stayed in the waiting room while they brought me back to see her. She was white as a ghost and hooked up to all kinds of machines. It was terrifying. Fortunately she pulled through and is as healthy as ever today, but I got a taste of just how scary it would be to lose her. I'm even more thankful for her because of that experience.
I hope she knows how much of an impact she's had on my life. I am the woman I am today and will be in the future because of her. I could never thank her enough.
Dear Mom,
I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always
As long as I'm living, my Mommy you'll be
Love, your baby girl
18 Days to Thanksgiving!
Signed,
RF
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