Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Dear Mom,
REMEMBER THAT BIRTHDAY PARTY WE WERE AT AND THE CARD I GAVE WAS ONE I HAD MADE? WHEN YOU LOOKED AT IT YOUR COMMENT WAS "OH, YOU'RE JUST LIKE YOUR SISTER--YOU MADE ONE OF THOSE CHEAP AND IMPERSONAL CARDS" NOW THAT KIND OF HURT MY FEELINGS, I HAD SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THAT CARD BUT THAT DIDN'T KEEP ME FROM MAKING ANYMORE. THAT JUST HAPPENED TO BE YOUR OPINION-- WHICH YOU NEVER HESITATED TO GIVE. EVERYTIME I MADE ANOTHER CARD IT MADE ME THINK OF YOU. NOW IT IS YOUR TURN TO HAVE THE PLEASURE OF RECEIVING ONE OF THOSE CARDS FROM ME.
ONE THING THAT WE NEVER HAD TO WONDER WAS WHAT YOU WERE THINKING. IF YOU DIDN'T LIKE SOMEONE THEY KNEW IT. YOU ALWAYS SPOKE THE TRUTH AND WHAT WAS ON YOUR MIND. EVEN IN THESE LAST FEW WEEKS YOU WERE STILL SMARTING OFF PEOPLE AND MAKING ME LAUGH. THE NURSES REFEREED TO YOU AS "FEISTY"
WHEN I WAS GROWING UP I THOUGHT I HAD THE WORST CHILDHOOD ON EARTH. YOU EXPECTED ME TO WORK HARD, BE WHERE I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AND DO WHAT I WAS TOLD. MANY TIMES I WAS GOING TO CALL SOMEONE TO COME AND GET ME BECAUSE I THOUGHT I WAS BEING ABUSED. ONCE YOU OFFERED TO GIVE ME A RIDE I REALIZED THAT WASN'T SUCH A GOOD IDEA. AS I LOOK BACK NOW I SEE THAT YOU WERE TEACHING ALL OF US TO BE STRONG, INDEPENDENT, HARD WORKING PEOPLE WHO WOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES. THAT YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED.
YOU RARELY RAISED YOUR VOICE. MANY TIMES WHEN I WAS IN TROUBLE I WISHED YOU WOULD YELL OR JUST PADDLE ME AND GET IT OVER WITH. THE SILENT TREATMENT WAS TORTURE--I GUESS YOU KNEW THAT.
IN 1991 YOU LOST YOUR DAD , 1992 YOUR SON (ON YOUR BIRTHDAY) HOW HARD THAT MUST HAVE BEEN. IN 1993 YOUR HUSBAND, 1995 YOUR SISTER AND IN 1999 YOUR MOTHER . INSTEAD OF LAYING DOWN AND FEELING SORRY FOR YOURSELF YOU WENT OUTSIDE OF THE HOME AND STARTED HELPING OTHERS-- NEVER EXPECTING ANYTHING IN RETURN. YOUR BIGGEST FLAW WAS NOT ALLOWING OTHERS TO HELP YOU--ALTHOUGH THERE WERE MANY PEOPLE IN LINE WILLING TO DO ANYTHING THEY COULD TO HELP. YOU WILL NEVER KNOW HOW MANY LIVES YOU HAVE TOUCHED THRU THE YEARS--EVEN THOSE YOU DIDN'T WANT TO TOUCH.
YOU CAN NOW REST KNOWING THAT YOU HAVE DONE A FINE JOB RAISING US TO TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES AND EACH OTHER.
WE LOVE YOU AND WE WILL MISS YOU.
