To My Mommy

This is my mom. 

She is my best friend.

We always take awesome pictures together, like this one.

This is my mom and dad and the girls last summer. That was a fun night at the Bar J.

My mom is one of my favorite people in the entire world. (So is my Dad, but I'm talking about my mom tonight.) We were definitely buds before we came to earth. She knows me probably better than anyone else. Patrick is learning, but my mom has about 20 years on him. ;-) We are BUDS. I love my mom so much. I look up to her, admire her, want to be like her, respect her thoughts and opinions, and I just think she is amazing. 

I grew up as the only girl in a house of 5 kids. I got spoiled - by both of my parents. I always loved going out with my mom, even if it was just to run errands. I liked to be around her. She was always teaching me things - she still does. She taught me how to play softball and was ever so patient with my very impatient attitude. She taught me how to write a solid sentence and put an English paper together. I'm pretty sure I learned how to "fluff" a paper from my mom too. It's a technique and a skill, really. :) She would buy me clothes, buy me clothes that I don't think my dad would have ever allowed me to get, and she helped me choose my Homecoming and Prom dresses - even the one my brother called a hand towel and said I couldn't go to the dance in if I was going with his friend. She bought Baskin Robin's by the gallon... or more - triple gallon? :), whatever that giant bucket's size is. She loved Jamocha Almond Fudge and Daquiri Ice. I loved Daquiri Ice. Yum. We had giant buckets of these in the deep freezer, so long as Baskin Robin's had enough to sell us some. 

My mom taught me to drink Coke and eat Frito's. When I was a teenager, she would do that and I would drink Pepsi and eat Nacho Cheese Dorito's. She still loved me. She taught me that a fountain Coke is the best kind of Coke. And just how much ice makes it perfect. 

My mom taught me to enjoy a good surround sound system when watching movies. My dad did too. We watched a lot of movies growing up. Nearly every conversation my family has involves movie quotations. And, in fact, a couple of weeks ago, I was talking to a friend at church and I quoted so many movies/tv shows in a short amount of time that she noticed and said, "You watch a lot of movies huh?" Well, I sure did growing up. :) We still quote movies from 10-15 years ago in my family. A get-together with my family is like "Who's Line is it Anyway?" and "Name that movie."

My mom has amazing intuition. She has had answers for me before I knew what the question was. I have both listened and not listened to my mom. I listen to her now. I look to my mom for advice and support and she gives it in just the right amount. My mom has been there for me in my worst, darkest days and on the brightest and best days of my life. She has flown halfway around the world to be there for me when I needed her the most. She even Skyped with us when we chopped my hair 3 months ago. At 4:00 in the morning, her time. She had a Coke. :)

I have always wanted to be a mom and I have always looked to my mom as a role model. I could tell that she loved being our mom. Sure, she didn't like us every day, but she loved being Mom and she loved us. I have always wanted to feel the same way about my role as mom. I learned how to be patient (though it's taken me years to put it into practice), kind, humble, and loving, and how to sacrifice from my mom. When I became a mom, one of the first things I wanted to do was tell her thank you for being my mom. When mommyhood started, I apologized for being the teenager I was and told her thank you for putting up with me. I'm sure I still have no idea what she did for us on a regular basis. 

My mom waited up for me when I broke curfew. She only had to look at me - I knew what I had done, and I didn't do it very many times. My mom taught me "the look." 

My mom gives the best hugs. When anything in life isn't grand, a hug from my mom fixes it. I feel like I am home when I'm around my mom. I kind of stick to her like glue any time she visits - I just can't get enough of her! She is so warm, kind, and good. And she is SO funny. Man, is she funny! My mom is so quick and witty, it's amazing! And when we get together, we feed off of each other. Patrick says that he doesn't even try to keep up with us anymore. 

My mom is my best friend. She has always been there for me, as a listening ear, a voice of guidance, or a voice of reassurance. She gives me strength. She's been dealt a "fun" hand and she is so positive and so strong. She just keeping going because what else is there to do? "I can do hard things," she says. And she can. And because she can, because she taught me that I can, I can do hard things too. She pushes herself and gives so much of herself to those around her and whoever needs her. I know that I can overcome trials because my mom taught me that I can. She taught me to be a fighter, to be passionate, and to never give up. 

I love my mom so much and I hope that when I grow up, I can be just like her. 

I love you, Mama-san. Happy Mother's Day!