My Mother’s Day Gift
The conversation I’ve been having, almost daily, with my mother for the past three weeks:
Me: Mom, what do you want for Mother’s Day?
Mom: Oh, I don’t know sweetie, I just can’t decide.
Me: Well, can you please put some thought into it?
Mom: I suppose. I guess I do need a new pair of reading glasses …
Me: Jesus, Mom, can I get you anything for fun?
Mom: You know, it would make me happiest if you’d just save your money for your retirement.
Me: Mother, I save plenty. I’m not a child anymore. I run a successful business today. I can get you something nice. Please tell me what you want.
Mom: Can I just tell you tomorrow?
Me: Sigh.
So, Mom, I’m getting you the fucking reading glasses.
Mom, thank you for reading my blog every day. Thank you for encouraging me, always, to pursue the things I am passionate about, even when those things lead me into a line of work you’re vaguely embarrassed to tell your friends about. Thank you for telling me, for as long as I can remember, that I can achieve anything I put my mind to. Thank you for reading to me daily as a child. Thank you for allowing me to be independent. Thank you for loving me unconditionally, when I insisted on dying my hair black and sporting lipstick to match, when I insisted on wearing boys underwear, when I insisted on moving out of the house, for good, when I was sixteen. Thank you for loving me when I told you how much I hated you. Thank you for sending letters and emails when I refused to contact you for weeks. Thank you for loving me when I dropped out of high school. Thank you for loving me when I dropped out of college. Thank you, Mom, for refusing to buy me Nintendos and trampolines and Rollerblades in exchange for good grades. Thank you for teaching me to value education for its own sake. Thank you for teaching me to embrace my feelings and my sexuality and my words and my thoughts and my dreams. Thank you for never censoring me. Thank you for validating everything about me, no matter what. Thank you for insisting that I didn’t know my own strength. Thank you for teaching me faith. Thank you, Mom, for never giving up on me, for your relentless cheerleading, during the times I had given up, completely, on myself.
I love you, Mom.
May 11th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
very nicely put. Your both fortunate to have each other.
May 11th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
Very lovely. She raised an *interesting* young woman…which is quite something. Tell her TextGod also wishes her a happy day today.
May 11th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
Uh, wait a second. Boys’ underwear??
May 11th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Nice sentiment!
May 11th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
as a mom myself…i can only hope my girls will feel the same about me. congrats to you both. you are lucky women.
May 11th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
I hope when I have children they value me as we value our mothers. Thank you Mom for telling me that I can achieve anything and everything. Thank you.
May 11th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
awww, sweet!!
May 11th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
WOW
That letter sure made a very good present.
May 11th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
aw, way to make the rest of us look bad!
but seriously, that’s really sweet!
May 11th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
Ha! I forgot today was mothers day. I hope Walgreens is still open.
May 11th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
You and your mom look so much alike! How cute!
May 11th, 2008 at 6:29 pm
May 11th, 2008 at 6:29 pm
Beet you are SOO Funny , seriously !
May 11th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
Nice Message there , im sure your mother is very happy and proud of you , happy mothers day to all of our mothers!
May 11th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
Beet, that brought tears to my eyes. What a great message–and what a great mom. I hope that I can be a good enough mom to merit those kinds of words from my daughter someday.
May 11th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
I great looking woman who cooks too a real double threat.
May 11th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
Awsome Beet-what a way to honor a very rare lady! Happy Mothers day Momma Beet!
May 11th, 2008 at 10:56 pm
Beet came from money.
May 12th, 2008 at 12:29 am
Your mother is a really wonderful woman! xoxo
May 12th, 2008 at 6:03 am
Wow.. a mom that still cooks? She’s a cutie.
May 12th, 2008 at 6:46 am
Aaaaaw….
May 12th, 2008 at 9:11 am
wow, this is an awesome letter to your mom. I do not even know you and feel very proud of you. Keep up the good work!
May 12th, 2008 at 10:00 am
Is that a tile countertop from The Patridge Family Show era?
May 12th, 2008 at 10:10 am
that was so sweet. i have a mom who’s the same way. no matter how much shit i put her through in my teenage years, she stood by me and never stopped loving and supporting me through all the rought times… your lil letter there brought tears to my eyes.
May 12th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
aw Beet im sure she loved that and probobly cried through-out that lol but that was nice of you!