This is my mom and
dad in 1971…but the point today is my mom:
I think she is the most beautiful person I
know. I know you think I’m bias but the truth is if you knew even a fraction of
her strength, kindness, patience, endurance, commitment and love she’s shown
for her family…
…you might get a
better understanding of why I say that. I watched her work and work and work
and give and give and give to the point that any saint would say she had done
enough. But she still does it. She still continues to give. I wish I could give her the moon and by that I mean giving her all
the dreams and plans back that she’s sacrificed to grow up three crazy willful children
and make each one of them a success.
Lord knows I was
a stubborn one. When I traveled to the other side of the country for my Grandpa’s
funeral a year ago she handed me the movie Brave through emotional eyes. I know
it meant a lot to her to give me that movie and for the first time it made me
realize how being me may have been hard on her. I love this:
Because it reminds
me of us and if I ever drew a Disney caricature of my mom, it would look a lot
like Queen Elinor with the exception of eye color. I remember beautiful thick
dark flowing hair with a distinct part down the middle just like Queen Elinor’s
but her eyes are more like the piercing blue of Merida’s. I used to love it
when she took her glasses off because you could see them that much better. Mom
has the MOST GORGEOUS blue eyes. You can kind of see them in this picture but
her smile is so big she’s hiding them a little…
Sorry mom. I know
you hate your picture taken but you are too beautiful…I had to brag a little on
you.
I love the line
where in the movie where Queen Elinor says to Merida “a princess doesn’t stuff
her gob.” It reminded me of sitting at the dinner table and hearing for the
thousandth time “things not to do when eating with the queen” (a direct quote from
my mother). I would stop whatever I was doing but that scene just makes me
laugh because it is so me. Sorry mom. I don’t have the wild red hair but I
definitely have the wild willfulness and determination to chart my own course. I know that even in those times when I was deciding what I
was going to do… you were standing in the back of the room doing your best to
communicate love and council to me while I stepped up to the stage of decision
making.
I wish you didn’t
live so dang far away and I miss you like crazy. I love you with all of my
heart and hope you know that….
(Side note...your card and gift will be late because I
am an epic failure at planning for any holiday but Christmas)
