Thursday 10 May 2007

Moms. . . Where Would We Be Without You?

Without our moms? Well, you could let your mind do a cartoon-type rewind all the way back to - um - . . . nothing. Kiddies, none of us would be here if it weren’t for our mommas.

I’m speaking of all mothers; the seemingly perfect moms as well as the seriously imperfect moms. Fun moms, strict moms, and certifiably crazy moms all had a major role in this game of life that we’re playing.

In honour of Mother’s Day 2007, I would like to send out a great big appreciative thank you to every mom of the world for all of the following things:

For the hours of painful labour that we made you suffer without painkillers. Thanks for not taking us out of the world once you brought us into it. We appreciate that you didn’t abuse that power, even though its dark promise must have tempted you sorely at times.

For every toy you picked up, dried food you wiped off the wall and for every tantrum we threw and scream we bellowed, thanks for not losing your mind when we were two. And we won’t forget every nasty diaper you changed, thanks for keeping the rash away.

For the first time you saw us off to ‘real’ school, for packing a great lunch complete with wholesome snacks we traded for sugar, thanks. We never went hungry.

For every sport, dance, committee, game, summer job, performance and sleep-over you carted us to, thanks for being the best taxi service ever, and never charging us more than a ‘be careful, or good luck, or I love you’.

For soothing every scraped knee, sprained ankle, pimple and broken heart, we will always remember that nobody makes it better like doctor mom’s Bactine spray and healing kiss.

For laughing at our bad jokes, for helping with impossible school projects, for all the cupcakes you had to bake the night before a class party because we’d forgotten to tell you (again), thanks for your hard work. We’re sorry we licked the frosting off before we got the cupcakes to school and then used them for a food fight.

For every time you said ‘there’s plenty of fish in the sea’, ‘we didn’t like him anyway’ or ‘you’re too good for him’, you’ll never know how much our heart needed to hear those words, even if we didn’t appreciate it at the time. And for every time you wanted to say those words and didn't?Thanks. Sometimes we just had to figure out the bad stuff for ourselves, no matter how much it hurt you to watch.

For believing in us when we didn’t believe in ourselves, and for being the proudest parent at our high school graduation, thanks. We may have acted embarrassed by all the screaming, but we’d have been crushed if you couldn’t have been there.

For gently guiding us with your kind words, your lectures, your ‘when I was your age’ stories, thanks for not taking it too hard when we rolled our eyes.
For never forgetting that the alcohol 'mysteriously' evaporated every time you left town. It teaches us to never get caught.

For paying for our education, for getting so excited when we got married, for every nagging comment about grandchildren, you are secretly treasured.

For never talking to us like adults, and for always thinking we’ll be your babies, thanks mom, really. It helps us stay young.

For mothers-in-law that may never see eye-to-eye with the wives or husbands of that perfect offspring of yours, thank you. Without you, we wouldn't have the happily ever
after that sleeps next to us each night.

To the new moms and the mommas to be, congratulations and think of the things you should be thanking your mother for.

And a special message just for my Momma:

Mommy Dearest, you are everything a mom should be and so much more (like you don't know that.) I am Joyce Kristine, a confident, talented woman because of you, because of the roots that you strengthened in me.

Because of your strength, because of your humour, because of your patience and belief, I am simply . . . 100% me.

Thanks for most of the stuff mentioned above, crazy math, making me hate beans and making me join the drama club. Thanks for encouraging my writing when I was so young, and sending me the first story I wrote when I was eight.

Thanks for quitting smoking, and never starting again.

Thanks for hanging out with that crazy guy for a while that made me overcome my irrational fear of guns.

Thanks for finding your happily-ever-after so I knew it was okay to believe in my own.

Thanks for believing in my trip to Wyoming and Morocco. Because of your support I found myself.

I may be 3,000 miles away from you, but you've been here and know that my life is just about everything you could have wanted for me.

Because of you, I became strong enough to be so far away from everything I knew to start a brand new life in almost every possible way, all at the same time.

I love you so much, Mom, and miss you with all my heart. Come see me soon.

Happy Mother's Day.
Daughter Dearest
Joyce Kristine

P.S. Mom, your gift is 'in the mail', but trust me - I'm going to make someone tape your reaction - that's how good it is . . .