Yesterday was Mother’s Day and I was fortunate enough to spend the day with not only my mom, but also some other special women in my life including my aunt, Maw Maw AND sister-in-law… I love my family. I especially love my mom!
I’m not sure how she put up with my antics. We took a stroll down memory lane this weekend and it got me thinking about all the terrible shenanigans I continuously put her through over the years decades.
In my head, I imagined my youth as such…
But in reality I was told it was more like this…
Sooooo … without further adieu I offer you, Mom, 29 Thank You’s for 29 years of headaches.
Dear Mom,
- Thank you for your patience. Especially when I was little and would stick rocks up my nose. And in my ears … I’m sorry for not telling you until the doctor found them. …and for the look of disappointment he gave you.
- Thank you for always having faith in me that I was telling you the truth. Even when I would repeatedly ask you to pick me up from school at 4:00pm because I had “special projects” – when really I was in detention and writing bible verses.
- Also, thank you for your understanding all of the years you never got to take me on a field trip. I know you always wanted to but those detentions got in the way.. since I had to stay behind and write bible verses.
- Thank you for always supporting me. Even after the countless calls you received about my inability to follow rules from my teachers. I will always love how you would encourage me with candy and movie nights if I didn’t get in trouble for an entire week.
- Thank you for your composure that day when you were called into school after I told Sr. Rosario that rules were for sheep and I was not a sheep.
- …and thank you for your serious self-control after finding out I was baaaa-ing to solidify my message.
- …and finally, thank you for your very wise judgement. I was mad at that time, but you did the right thing in recommending that I spend a day in suspension after that whole sheep fiasco.
- Thank you for not giving up on me. Even after I tried to throw the football down the school hallway that resulted in a row of broken overhead lights.
- …and for blaming it on the priest.
- …and for the additional suspension that ensued for blaming it on the priest.
- Thank you for seeing my creativity even when it was hard. Like the time you came home and the dogs were covered in permanent marker.
- About that whole creativity thing, I’m sorry for the time I painted my entire face with nail polish.
- If we can keep going on the “creative” spirit, I’d like to formally apologize for permanently dyeing my hair pink when I was mad at you for not letting me spend the night at a friend’s house on a school night.
- Thank you for always having the best expectations for me. Even when I would tell you I was getting up for school – when really I just went back to bed after I heard the garage door close … Also, I’m sorry for all the calls you received about me not being at school because I was still in bed.
- About those expectations, I’m sorry for the time the school called to tell you I was missing during a fire drill … and panic transpired. But really I was just at Taco Bell. mmmm, Taco Bell.
- Thank you for always pushing me to grow up even when I didn’t want to. Even after you had to meet with the vice principal because she was concerned that all I had for lunch was cookie dough. Subsequently, I’m sorry for not telling her the reason I had cookie dough was because you told me I was going to college next year and I needed to start making my own lunches.
- Thank you for always having hope in me. Especially your hope that I would finally do your list of chores you’d leave when you went to work. I’m sorry for all the times I told you I walked the dogs – but really I was playing video games and just moved the leashes to a different spot in the garage to make it look like I walked them.
- Thanks for not leaving me on the side of the road during all of the car rides when I said it must be something outside … but it was me. 🙂
- Thank you for always saying you loved my brother and I equally, even when I would continuously take advantage of his naivety.
- Thank you for not telling Mike when I had pranks lined up. Especially the time you promised not to tell him that I switched the sugar and the salt… just so I could watch his face as he poured a mound of salt on his rice krispies and took that first bite.
- Thank you for all of the time you spent teaching me how to sew … and then you found out it was just so I could stitch the front flap on all of his boxers. And for the tears of laughter that resulted when he would speak of his embarrassment in the school bathroom because of this.
- Thank you for not leaving me at Mike’s track meet when you found out I replaced his water with vinegar.
- Thanks for being a good sport when war broke out after Mike found out I hid shrimp shells in his car.
- Thank you for not being too upset for not telling you I was fired after only 3 days at Big Bear Grill for not being “server material.” I’m sorry that I had you unknowingly continue to drop me off there even after I was fired so I wouldn’t have to get a new job.
- Thank you for taking away my driving privileges after I ran over the neighbor’s mailbox in your car and knocked off your passenger door mirror. I think you probably saved my life.
- Thank you for the time you had a hot dog waiting for me at home after my very first day of real post-college work …It was traumatizing when I got lost in the parking garage and you not only stayed on the phone with me, navigated me out but also made me my favorite meal!
- Thank you for your grace, even after the time I had your car towed because I was running late for class and left it in the fire zone.
- …and for the time I got your car impounded.
- Thank you for your composure, love, persistence and overall go-with-the-flow attitude even after I repeatedly prank you…You really are my best frand. I love you!
There’s a poet by the name of Marcelene Cox who once wrote,
Children are like flowers in a bouquet: there’s always one who is determined to face in an opposite direction from the way the arranger desires.
Thanks for letting me be that one flower who wouldn’t cooperate, Mom. Thanks for letting me march to my own drum. And for letting me be my own free spirit! And finally, thank you for always putting up with me. You’ve always said you can’t wait for the day when I have a daughter of my own who will be just like me… and maybe you’re right. I just hope I will be as patient, kind and understanding with her as you were with me.
My new fear
bindyblog 