on this mother's day

i want my momma to know that one of the greatest gifts she ever gave me was teaching me acceptance, both of myself and others.

i want my momma to know i hear her words come out in my voice when i'm teaching, and that's part of how i know i'm doing my job well.

i want my momma to know she is the reason why i know i'll make it, even if i feel like i'm going through hell, because i saw her go through worse (and what's more, i saw her do it with her head held high).

i want my momma to know i am so, so thankful she taught me that a happy person is not a person with a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes, because that phrase helped me through some pretty tough times.

i want my momma to know i'm thankful she let me stumble my way through growing up, because even if i didn't make the best choices, she was always there to support me and help me find my way again.

i want my momma to know i am happy to have a loud voice, big teeth, and curly hair, because they are things i share with her.

i want my momma (and my friends) to know i'm a cat lady because of her (ahem, four cats at once).

i want my momma to know i'm so glad she passed along her organization gene to me.

i want my momma to know i'm proud of and impressed by her bravery to move to africa and then china, even though she knew they wouldn't have popcorn, iced tea, and cats there.

i want my momma to know that half the reason i want to have children some day is just so they can have her as a grandmother.

i want my momma to know i'm glad we grew up knowing it was okay to make mistakes, because we were taught to learn from them, not to be deterred by them.

i want my momma to know that she was right: having a sister is one of the best things ever.

i want my momma to know that one of the happiest sounds in the world to me is her laugh.

i want my momma to know that sometimes, i do silly walks in my own house, even if no one is there but the cats.

i want my momma to know i'll always think of her whenever i listen to the beatles. 

i want my momma to know she's the reason why one of my best friends isn't scared to be a mother to her own daughter, because you gave her love and acceptance when she wasn't getting it at home.

i want my momma to know that this list could never fully show my appreciation, gratitude, and love for her, but at least it's a start.

i love you, mom. happy mother's day.