Happy Mother’s Day! Let this letter from the book of Bradley Trevor Greive (2001) be our appreciation and gratitude to all the mothers who unconditionally love and care for us all.

Dear Mom, Thank you for Everything

Mom, the other day I was rubbing my belly button and it really made me stop and think – What a funny little reminder of such an important connection. A connection that reminds me of how I came to be! I’m sure it’s hard to imagine that I was once small, helpless, and completely dependent on someone else, but I was. And that someone else was you, Mom. You were there to show me my first butterfly and my first rainbow. You were there when I took my first steps (which looked remarkably similar to my very first hula lesson). You were the first person to make me smile and laugh, and you were there to hear my first word – Dad-dee! (Mom, I am soooo sorry about that.) It makes me feel wonderful when people say I resemble you, and it’s true! We have the same-shaped eyes, the same ears, the same nose. And if you look closely, you’ll see that even our toes are similar. When you think about it, that isn’t so surprising – I will always be a part of you, because you created me. You sculpture my face with a million tender kisses. You taught me all the important stuff about our world and my place in it. I learned everything that matters from watching you and listening to you. (And my, my, my, that birds and bees conversation was a real eye-opener!) You shared with me all the values that make you so special – kindness, forgiveness, honesty, persistence, thoughtfulness, and specially patience! You also taught me that even the worst day seems okay with a big mouthful of milk and cookies. (Mom, you’d be amazed how often your calming philosophy of milk and cookies had carried me through the hard times.) What I’m saying here Mom, is that you are the foundation upon which my character is built. And I just want to say Thank you. Thank you for always making me feel so warm, safe, and loved, for giving me everything I needed (and then some) to grow up and fulfill my potential, and for calling me your “perfect little angel” (despite overwhelming evidence that this was not actually the case). Thank you for being my full-time-, on-call, personal chauffeur from day one. Thank you for your delicious home cooking and for packing so much love and nutrition into my lunch box day after day and year after year. (And an extra special thank you, Mom, for the intoxicating smell of freshly baked brownies!) Thank you for letting a chubby-cheek two-year-old run wild among you most precious possessions and for not saying, “I told you so, I told you so, I told you so,” nearly often as you could have. Thank you for picking me up whenever I wanted a cuddle or a better view. (This probably wasn’t too good for your back, Mom.) Thank you for flying to my rescue every time you heard me cry out – “I want my Mom-meeeeeeeee!!!” Whenever I got into a bind, you were always there for me. You’ve always known what to say, or what not to say, to make me feel better. With your strong, gentle hands, and calm, wide words, plus lots of warm and loving hugs. Thank you for telling me I could grow up to be successful at anything I wanted if only I believed in myself the way you believed in me. Mom, I can’t tell you how much it meant to know you were always right beside me, urging on to live my dreams. I know we got into a flap over things every now and then (which rarely ended well for me). And even though I’m gradually coming to terms with eating broccoli and taking that terrible pink cough syrup, I’m not sure I’ll ever get over you making me kiss your great-aunt smack on the mustache! But upon reflection, I realize that I’m really the one who would say, “I’m sorry.” As you may recall, your little bundle of joy wasn’t always a bundle of laughs. I’m sorry for the times I upset you or made you worry about me, and for all the sleepless nights I caused. I’m sorry that I tried so hard to sneak out of taking baths and for sulking when you made me go to school or wouldn’t let me get a Mickey Mouse tattoo or get my tongue pierced... I’m truly sorry for the times I was downright nasty and difficult (especially in nice restaurants)! And I’d feel bad about all the 5 A.M. in-your-face wake-up calls on my birthdays, Christmas morning, and all those times I was too excited to sleep. I’m really sorry I didn’t give you more time to yourself. Even just a few more quiet moments to think, to dream. I realize now what a tremendous sacrifice you made for me. I know my playtime took precedence over your rest time, my meals took precedence over your mealtimes, and my potty training took precedence over absolutely everything. Then every time you tried to relax, I’d burst into the room with outrageous demands like: “Mom, I’m starving!” “Mommy, I’m bored.” “Mommy, I can’t find my pet chicken anywhere! I need you to wake up and help me find it right now!” Frankly, I’d be lost without you, Mom, and I only wish I had more than one lifetime to repay the incredible debt I owe you. You have shown me a world filled with love and wonder, you have put me on the path to a right and rewarding life, and you have  made me happier than you could possibly imagine. I want the whole world to know: MY MOM IS THE GREATEST MOM IN THE UNIVERSE! Because you are.

Thank you, Mom. Thank you for everything.