Yes she thought that burgundy corduroy blazer with matching pants that she made you wear was cute.

She also really thought that school picture, the one where your teeth were almost as big as your head, was adorable. -Even more so as you have grown

She did cherish each paper that you brought home with your name on it-even the ones she stuffed deep down into the trash bag.

She really wanted to be your friend, but knew that you needed her to be your mother even more.

She really can smell vomit, even if she seems immune to its smell.

She had bad hair days, and days with no make-up, not because she didn't care what she looked like, but because she put your needs first.

She didn't always enjoy cooking, and she never enjoyed scrubbing toilets.

There were times that she let your room be messy or ignored that eye-roll and let you think you got away with it.

She never felt so much rage toward a person until you came along and someone did you wrong.

She never felt so much fear as the times she's had to let you go somewhere; without her there by your side.

Maybe, most importantly, she's never felt so much joy as the first time she held you, the first time you said "ma-ma" or the the time you gave your heart to Jesus.

She really cared more about how you were doing in school than she did about your grades.

Every contest you entered, she thought you should have won- even if she didn't tell you so.

She didn't care much for Mazzios pizza or watching Pippy Longstockings.

Your clothes didn't just "come clean" in the wash; she sometimes had to scrub them.

She never dreamed of being a taxi cab driver, but she didn't mind being yours.

She knew money didn't grow on trees, but sometimes she spent it on you selflessly for something she wanted you to have.

She hasn't shared EVERY embarrassing story about you.

Grounding you and sticking to it was not easy; spanking you wasn't either.

She's MORE proud of you than she lets you know; most of the time she's letting other people how proud she is of you.

Even though it seemed sometimes she wasn't listening, there were ten times those times that she was thinking only of you.

Even when you asked her to watch you do some cool trick, but she seemed distant, you must know that you were never NOT on her mind.

She cried tears for you that you never saw, smiled smiles too, prayed prayers on your behalf that you never heard, and felt butterflies too when you were doing something "big" like performing or driving or taking a big test.

Maybe she hasn't told you, but she wants you to know- that it's YOU, not any homemade or expensive present, that she counts as her greatest gift.  And every day, not just Mother's Day, she counts it a blessing to call herself your mother.

 

For my mom, Gaye Fowler

Happy Mother's Day

and Happy Birthday May 14

Love you!