Dear Mom

Dear Mom,
Long time no talk, I know it’s been a while since you passed away. I’m hoping things are peaceful where you are and hoping Ransy and Endy and Letitia are with you where things are not so unbearable. Things are going well for me, some days are better than others. I wanted to say thank you for teaching me cooking and how to do the laundry and how to be kind and curious and how to enjoy happy moments. Thank you for being kind when I needed kindness and for being there when I needed you most. Thank you for not judging me when I was sad, angry or judgmental. Thank you for the humor and the ability to be quick witted and think fast on my feet when situations called for it. Thank you for teaching me that being a man doesn’t mean I need to be stiff or cruel or unforgiving. Thank you for showing me being a parent and being fun can be assets instead of being detrimental. Thank you for the million meatloaves, too many hot dogs to count and for never sneaking pickles into anything. We both know pickles are crimes against humanity, they should not exist and are evil, I’m just the only one who voices that opinion. Thank you for letting me spread my wings into many things even if it wasn’t meant to be, Tennis, Football, Baseball – Who lets a kid who is cross eyed and can’t see play baseball? You did and I thank you for that. I learned loss hurts, I learned being bad at things hurts, but I also learned it’s okay to fail, despite not liking the feeling. Thank you for worrying about me when I was away, more than I worried about myself. Thank you for sharing your life and your stories and thank you for loving me as no other mother could. Thank you for everything.