A Letter to My Mother

Today is Mother's Day.  It's a day to celebrate our mothers and all of the wonderful things they have done for us.  I don't really know what to say, even now I am working on a fourth draft; but I feel compelled to write and share this letter with the world.  Or at least, to share it with those who are willing to read it.  Maybe I am hoping that my story will inspire someone.  So here I go...

Dear Mom,

Happy Mother's Day.  I love you and miss you terribly.  I think about you often; it is hard to believe that it will be six years next week.  Time has surely flown by quickly.  I often wonder what you see from up there in Heaven.  I wonder what it's like to be that close to our Heavenly Father in all of His majesty.  I am jealous.  I am jealous because you get to be with Him; and I am jealous because He gets to be with you.  I know that is childish of me, but it's the truth.  Despite that jealousy, I know that you are here with me.  Sometimes I forget.  But you are always by my side.  When I close my eyes and drown out the world, I see you, dad, and God standing next to me.  We are standing on a path.  We've walked a long way so far already and we've got farther to go. Up ahead there is a hill.  I want to race to that hilltop and view what lies beyond.  But all three of you tell me to be patient.  You say we will get there in due time.  I thank you for standing next to me, walking with me down this path and experiencing this wonderful journey.  

I thank you for all of your love, for all that you have given me, and for all that you have taught me over the years.  Thank you for being my mom.  Thank you loving me despite all of my flaws.  Thank you for celebrating my achievements and success, kissing away the hurt, hugging me through the tears, and smacking me upside the head when I needed it.

In our short nineteen years together, you taught me so much.  You taught me how to sort laundry at the age of three.  I remember that's how I learned the difference between colors and the difference between a circle, a square, and a rectangle (these were the shapes of our laundry baskets).  You taught me how to cook and not burn down the house and how to bake and not burn the food.  Even though there were a few close calls at times.  You taught me the difference between right and wrong.  You taught me to sit back and reflect before responding.  Most importantly, you taught me to follow God first.  You taught me that even when the world got really ugly, that I could always cling to our Heavenly Father for comfort.  And you taught me to fight for what I believed; that without our faith and beliefs to guide us we had very little in life.  

But mostly, I want to thank you for having faith in me, even when I did not have faith in myself.  Thank you for pushing me when I did not want to move forward, and for carrying me when I couldn't move.  Thank you for encouraging me to follow my dreams.  

Happy Mother's Day Mom.  I love you.

-G