My dad died on Valentine’s Day from a cancer in his brain that he fought for a year and a half. I’ll talk about that more one day, but what I want to say now comes from the buildup and the fallout. What I want to say is not about the suffering and turmoil that I watched my dad and my family experience for that year and a half, or the milestones we hit every day that I never mentioned, like the last day he had ice cream or went outside. I want to talk about him and I will. But today, I want to talk about the aftermath. People don’t know what to say about death and dying. They tell you they’re sorry and they could never do what you’re doing, they tell you how strong you are and graceful you’re being, admire how you’re “back to work” or “still able to have fun”. Grievers are told time and time again, nobody knows what the right thing to say is. And we have grace. Giggle it off and nod our heads, tell them thank you and it’s okay. Because it is okay. They aren’t doing anything wrong t...
There’s a lot of days that I like to celebrate you. Your birthday, spoiling you on Christmas, when you got the promotion you wanted so badly. I like to think we do our best to celebrate you every day.
Some days are different. Some days don’t feel like a celebration for you.
But today, on top of all others, I want to take this time to say a few words of celebration, to honour the incredible woman you are.
You are so many things.
You are the strongest, most courageous woman in the world. You would walk to the ends of the earth for everyone you know. You would defend anyone’s honour. You have an amazing knack for making everyone in your life feel like the most important person to you.
I don’t know if you know this, but dad tells me all the time how I “should try to be more like mom,” and to me, that means I should be more welcoming to people, let them in with open arms. I should always, ALWAYS find the good in someone. I should learn to cook like a gourmet chef, I should go the extra mile, for any and everyone, I should always find a reason to be happy. All of these things and more.
Any situation I have passed through in life, I just think... what would mom do? What would mom say about this?
I am so lucky to have your upbeat personality. We are always the last on the dance floor. We are always the first to the snack cupboard. We are always the shoulder to cry on.
I could not be more proud to say I’m even a little bit like my mama.
You empower to me, without even trying, to be the best person I can be. And you raise me back up when I come crashing down.
I know there are days where you feel like things aren’t perfect in your world. And you feel like you can’t hold everything together. But know this: even on your worst days, I still look at you and only see perfection. Absolute, stunning, compassionate, perfection.
Like I said before, you are so many things. You are the warmest hug. You are the hardest goodbye. You are the most beautiful angel. You are the sunshine that pours through the morning windows. You are the smell of cookies baking in the oven. You’re the sound of the waves in the ocean.
Do you know how much you are, and how much you are to me?
I could go on forever. The love that shines from you never ends. And it only gets more beautiful every day.
I wish everyone in the world had a mom like you. The world would be a much brighter place.
To the mamas up in heaven, to the mamas of the babies who are too little to say it, to the mamas who lost their babies, to the mamas in spirit, the mamas who stepped in for those who couldn’t, I’ll just say this louder so all of you can hear it.
We love you.
We cherish you.
We admire you.
We embody you. And we hope you’re proud.
And mom, if I turn out even a fraction as wonderful as you are, I know I’m gonna be absolutely fine.
Happy Mother’s Day.
Love,
Me
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