to my mom

October 16, 2016

I haven’t always been the best at expressing my gratitude for you. I am not around as much as I should be. I’m sure sometimes you don’t feel like you are important to me and I’m sorry for that. I wrote this because one night I was thinking about how good you were to us and started jotting down memories.
These are memories, thoughts I’ve had or things i simply never thanked you for so you know how much you mean to me.

(In no particular order)

I remember riding bikes with you as a kid around the neighborhood.
I remember you coming to all the pep rallies with camera in hand.
I remember you letting me skip school in 5th grade so we could stay in a hotel and go to the Hanson concert. One of the coolest memories of my childhood.
I remember yelling “MOM COME WIPE MY BUTT!” at age 4 and you would come help me.
I remember you driving me to the movies in high school to bust my “best friend” who was on a date with the boy who just broke my heart. You were just as eager to get to the bottom of it as I was.
I remember home cooked meals almost every night. I never had TV dinners until college and still don’t like them. I still love goulash.
You make the best chicken noodle soup.
You give the best back rubs EVER! “Tight squeeze, light breeze..”
I remember singing “Delta Dawn” with you and grandma.
THANK YOU for rubbing my feet during pregnancy.
Thank you for getting me into scrapbooking. It opened up my creative side. I remember going to a class with you at some woman’s house and splurging on things to get me started. That stuff was not cheap, so thank you.
Thank you for always making our birthdays special.
I remember you taking me to Kansas for an American Girl doll tea party and fashion show. I was in 4th grade and I still remember what I was wearing because it was super special to me.
I remember you taking an interest and helping me find stuff when I was interested in collecting things from the Victorian Era.
Thank you for practically raising my friends throughout middle school and some of high school. You fed way more people than you had to and toted us around constantly.
I remember going to the drive-in and you let us jump out at red lights and run around the car and jump back in when it turned green.
I remember going to Wendy’s when it was on Main Street and you called it “goin’ 99 centin’” and we would all get a couple things off the dollar menu. We didn’t have to spend a lot to have fun.
I remember playing games and listening to the radio on Christmas Eve to hear Santa’s location and if he was close. We always opened a present on Christmas Eve.
I remember even when we didn’t have a lot of money you would create costumes for us, like grapes, a hobo, etc with what we had and the costumes were always awesome!
I remember going to Texas Tech for my orientation in 2005 and you stayed in the dorms and went to all the parent events. You took notes and asked questions and insisted I join a sorority.
I still have cards you sent when I lived in Lubbock saying how proud you were and happy everything was working out.
I remember when you went around and tried to get businesses to donate to the cheerleading squad.
I remember you praying in front of us, doing Bible study, and highlighting/making notes in your Bible.
I remember our house always being clean. I have no idea how you managed to do that.
I appreciate you always taking an interest in whatever I was into at the time even if it wasn’t interesting to you.
I remember once when I was 16 you slapped me because I was majorly disrespectful and ridiculously ungrateful toward you. I was shocked at the time but totally deserved it and I’m glad you stood up for yourself.
Thank you for encouraging and complimenting my crafts and chalkboards. You always seem so blown away of my “talent” which is always nice to hear even if I don’t see it like you do.
I will always remember your love for Richard Gere. Even Julia Roberts reminds me of you because of Pretty Woman.
I remember your favorite song is Elton John’s “Your Song” and I love it too.
I always remember you collecting something.
I remember we had an ENTIRE room dedicated to your Coca Cola antique collection.
I remember going to antique stores with you a lot. I honestly think you have a knack for decorating and have an eye for finding unique items to decorate with. I wish I had that talent.
I remember the time you went on a Coca-Cola drinking strike and drank root beer instead. It was weird because you always drank Coke my whole life.
Growing up you loved chocolate and Blue Bell ice cream.
I remember you always being there for everything. So many other parents were always at work but you were there. I loved having a mom who could pick me up from everything and attend all my games and try outs. Even if I didn’t show it, I knew even then I was blessed to have you.
I remember once in 2nd grade my friend slept over and said the next morning, “I think your mom shaved her head last night!” I told her you didn’t have hair, no big deal. I have never ever been embarrassed about your hair or wigs. It was always a part of life. It is what makes YOU, YOU.
You never wore a bit of makeup that I can ever remember but I have always thought you were beautiful and I think its a compliment when people say I look like you.
I was always proud that you never went down a bad path in your younger days like everyone else around you.
I have no idea how you managed to always have nice boobs and no stretch marks or cellulite after 4 kids. You didn’t pass that on to me unfortunately.
I will never know how you found time to have major hobbies like gardening, collecting, and scrapbooking with everything else you did for all of us. I can’t do just basics correctly.
I remember a fun game we played when I was little where you timed how fast I could get ready for school in the morning. Now I know that was just a way for me to get ready quickly without fussing but it was fun and totally genius as a parent.
I am proud of what you overcame in life.
I know you went without things you needed a lot, and you went through hard times, for us girls. You always made sure we had everything we needed and tried hard to give us everything we wanted too.
Thank you for teaching Teagan so much of what she knows.
You are a remarkable woman. You are so strong, even if you don’t feel like it. You’ve shown us how to be strong. You’ve shown us how to keep going when things are tough.
I love you for giving me your honest attention, for letting me shine, for believing in me no matter what. I know you were always on my side even when I was wrong.
I respect everything you have done for us. Every choice you made was one you thought was best for us and done with our well-being in mind. Thank you.
Thank you for loving my kids the way you do.
Thank you for loving Taylor. He loves you back.
I was never mad at you for leaving and going to Arkansas. There was a time when I felt upset with the situation or a little deserted in a way because a girl always needs her mom but I was never angry with YOU. Any emotion I showed otherwise was out of my own selfishness; I knew you were doing what you had to do for your own mental health and I’m glad you did.
I am so proud to have you as my mom and I will always remember these things and more. Thank you for always being there and helping to shape me into who I am. Thank you for loving us all unconditionally. I love you.