Today is Mother's Day...the day we realize how selfish we are and how selfless our moms are. So this is for not just my mom, but for a select few other amazing women in my family. You guys, I'm so lucky.
Dear Grandma (Fern),
I miss you and think of you so often. My heart just swells knowing how much love and devotion you gave to our family! First of all, thank you for my mom especially, but because of you I have this whole crazy family in Oklahoma/Texas/Florida that I can't imagine life without!!! You taught us how important it is to stick together and to see each other as often as possible. I will never forget how you were the definition of hospitality, love and devotion to God, and putting everyone before yourself.
Writing this makes me want to drive up to Oklahoma to see you!! Maybe I can bring Drew up to see you before he goes to bootcamp :) Thank YOU for my dad who is the sweetest man in the world, and for my silly, talented uncles! Well, my dad is silly and talented as well...and not to mention a genius! I'm convinced that you are the source of our family's talent and artistry. I'm grateful for all the time you let me spend in your studio "painting." Your home has always been that sacred place of beauty and comfort. You are an inspiration to me not only because of your unwavering love for our family, but in travel, creativity, and appreciation of beauty!
Dear Aunt Carolyn,
We say it all the time, but you truly are a saint! You are one of the most gentle and kind spirited women that has ever walked this earth. That has been such an amazing example to me- not just how you have treated me, but how I have observed you treating each person that you interact with. To me, your home is the place where ALL the family comes together for holiday meals, games, naps, and singing around the piano. You are a wonderful example of God's love to our whole family :)
Dear Catrina,
Some of my first memories of you are of rough housing on the floor and "braiding" your hair. I couldn't wait (and still can't!) to get to see you every year. Also, I'm sorry I got sick at your wedding. Our friendship means the world to me, and I just want you to know what a great role model you are to me and so many other young women!! As the doctor in the family, not only do you put up with our annoying questions, but you do so with grace and kindness. I bet you get that from your momma (Carolyn). You are a beautiful, strong, talented, intelligent, driven, and godly wife and mother- I'm so thankful for you!!
Dear Glenda,
First of all, thank you Steve for finding her and bringing her into the family ;) I really cherish all the time we spend together! Not only are you so much fun to be around, but you have such an uplifting spirit. You were there for me, morally supported, and understood me in the hardest time of my life- I will never forget or be able to thank you enough for that. Your journey to God and to being a mother is one of the most miraculous and inspiring life stories that I know. Thank you for blending into our family seamlessly!
--sidenote to my brother: please find a girl that is the perfect mix of Catrina and Glenda to marry so I can have the best sister ever ;) Good luck and thanks! haha--
And lastly because its the most important-
Dear Mom,
Its actually really hard for me to write this because I can't decide what is more important to say/include and I think I could write a novel.
I can't think of a person in the world who is more important than you. Its pretty sad how bad we (kids) are at expressing that. Maybe its just because there are so many little things that you do that we would end up saying thank you for eternity and not have time to do anything else with our lives....or maybe its that we take you for granted and simply forget to express our gratitude. But, I hope that one day I can be half of the mom that you have been/ are to me. I'm not the best at showing it. Sometimes I'm so eager to grow up and be an "adult" that I shrug off your advice or get frustrated and want to get back to what I'm doing....because me me me.
But for you, I'm thankful for your time. 24 for years is a long time (a lifetime!!!) to devote entirely to lives that are not your own. And thats what you have done. Thank you for always having breakfast ready, always packing lunches, always cooking dinner, always preparing snacks, always making sure homework was done, always making sure we made it to school on time, always supporting our interests, always taking me to flute lessons, and always making me practice during the years I didn't exactly want to. Thank you for having separate birthday parties for us if thats what we wanted that year, so we would each feel important. Thank you for making each of us the cakes that we wanted to represent who we were at that point in life. Thank you for fighting for what you believe in and for teaching me what it means to be a lady (and to look professional and presentable in public).
Thank you for always answering the phone. Thank you for trading your contact case with me because I liked the pink one that you had better than my blue one. Thanks for "lending" me shirts when I liked yours! Thanks for understanding that "this was kind of weird so I figured you would like it." And thanks for telling me a billion times over the phone what the ratio of rice to water is and how high and how long I should cook chicken for.
(I could write this list for days) Love!!!!
Happy Mother's Day to you, my family, my friends, and all you bloggers out there. Happy Mother's Day to those who have raised us, those who WILL raise a child, and to those who have the longing to raise a child. I hope you are blessed, especially on this day! You make the world a better place.
This is so sweet! You are lucky to be surrounded by so many awesome moms, especially your own! And is that Winston that your Grandma is holding?? I'm dying!!
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