Hey Mama

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Hey mama-  I want to tell you a few things. I want to say "Thank You" for raising me to be a compassionate human being.  I want to tell you that I appreciate all the sacrifices you made while we were growing up.  You always wanted to travel abroad, and with your blessing, I got to go to Europe before you ever did. 

Hey mama, I want to say I am proud of the person you are.  You drive me nuts sometimes, but I also miss it when we are apart for too many days.  You raised 6 children, and somehow half came out to be Democrats, and half Republicans.  That says a lot about your character.  You raised us to think for ourselves.  I am proud to be a bleeding heart liberal, while having conservative family values.  I am happy that I can watch CNN with you, and Nancy Grace.  We love Nancy Grace, you and I do.  You don't tolerate criminal behaviour, although you seem to tolerate everyone else in the world.

Hey mama.  Thanks for making me the kind of person that appreciates the differences in others.  You could care less if a man wants to marry another man, if your neighbor is Muslim, Atheist, or Christian.  You don't see race, religion, or political interest (unless Uncle T. provokes you with his super conservative liberal bashing, which really riles you up!).  All you see is someone who needs a friend, someone to treat with kindness, dignity, respect and maybe someone who wants to share who they are with you.

Hey mama.  Thaks for supporting the kind of woman I want to be.  Thank you for never assuming I want to be a mother, a wife, a Democrat, straight or college-bound.  I appreciate it when you tell me to do what makes me happy, and I know you mean it.  All you care is that I treat everyone with kindness and empathy.  You are the best grandmother to all your grandkids, and you treat my 4 cats like grandkids and even buy them Christmas presents, which makes me smile because you support my decision to wait to have children and acknowledge that what is important for me right now is supporting animal welfare and global issues.  You don't treat all your children the same and I love that.  We are different people, and you respect that.

Thanks mama for cooking the occasional meal.  I know you were busy when we were kids, and dad did most of the cooking.  Thank you for teaching me that it isn't necessarily a women's job to do all the cooking and cleaning.  Because of you I have married a man like daddy- one that helps me.  One that cooks and helps me clean.  One that recognizes I work hard, and wants to support me in all that I do.  You raised me to take care of myself, even if I never have to.

Hey mama.  Thanks for showing me that it is more important to be beautiful on the inside than on the outside.  I am thankful that you and dad didn't let me wear make-up in my youth.  I am thankful you and dad didn't want me to date before age 16.  I am thankful I wasn't allowed to wear provocative clothing when I was young.  I wasn't allowed to dye my hair or have my ears pierced until I was a teenager.  Thank you for that.  I grew up at a normal pace, even though I was so anxious as a kid.  I grew up knowing my time to be an adult would come.... and it came..... and I relish every moment of it.

Hey mama.  I admire that you don't use your own childhood upbringing as a way to treat us.  I know you had it hard.  Really, really hard.  Thanks for not allowing how someone treated you as a child to become an excuse for being a less than wonderful human being and mother.  When other people use their childhood drama excuse as a reason for being a bad person, I think of you, and how strong you have always been.

Mama- I used to call you that... "mama".  Until I was in high school, I think. You wished I would wait until I was 16 to date, and then it was 21, and then 25.  But I started dating at 16 and you understood I was ready to be in love.  As the years went on you didn't care who I dated.  You didn't mind the guy with all the tattoos, the guy with all the piercings or the guys with the skin color that was different from mine.  You didn't mind the guys that looked like homeboys, or the ones in the military.  You embraced them all, some of them longer than I did. 

You said "ok" when I decided to study in Spain.  You said ok when I left for India and didn't have a way to contact you for a whole summer.  You said ok because you knew I wanted to give back to the world a piece of the love and compassion you had shown me in my life.  I wanted to pay it forward.  Thanks, mama.

Hey mama.  Thanks for the movies, the plays. the mother-daughter Europe trip and the thousands of lunch dates.  Thanks for always having your door open.  When I wanted to go back to school to get my Master's degree, you opened your door to me without any questions.  You saved me from having to pay rent somewhere while struggling to pay school expenses.  Now, even at age 30 and married you tell me I can move home if I ever need to.

Hey mama-  This message is long, but it doesn't do you justice.  I just want you to know that I love you and I see you.  I see what you do for me and everyone else.  Thanks, mama.

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