Thank You Mom

I haven't been much to post onto Facebook lately. And when Mother's Day came along, I wasn't into the whole - shout out to my mom through Facebook and try to see who can say the best about their mom on a social media sight. Kudos for all that did that - but I, I Face timed my dear mama with my dearest Brinnley Marie.

I have sent and bought a variety of random gifts for my mom over the years. This year, she just wanted a card and a "thank you". Psh. That's what she said. When I got a Starbucks gift card from her (perk of being a mommy?!) I knew I had to do SOMETHING. So, Friday afternoon while I was literally at Starbucks spending some of my gift card, I ordered flowers. Do you know HOW MUCH they charge you in fees? Yah, that price below the picture is NOT the price of the flowers. But, my mom was totally worth it. I don't think I have ever bought her flowers and had them delivered. So, first time for everything. And the card she got? Yah, same ole same ole.

So, here mom, it's a little late. But here are a few thank you's that I owe you from over the last 28 years....

Thank you for enduring a second c-section to ensure not only the safety of yourself, but for my safety as well.

Thank you for birthing me in Connecticut - of any person I have ever met or spoken to about birth places, no one, I repeat, no one has ever been born there also. I feel so special so have such a special state to call my "place of birth" on those random records that include that question.

Thank you for realizing that the father figure in my life at the time of my young age was not the best, even though I am sure it caused you pain to understand and leave the situation. Thank you for finding a man to make not only you happy, but to make me the happiest and luckiest daughter to him. Thank you for marrying him and keeping him around for 25 years!

Thank you for making me walk 1/4 or even 1/2 a mile, I can't remember exactly how far - but it was pretty damn far, to the bus stop each morning and each afternoon in all kinds of weather - it taught me to not only be responsible, but it taught me respect for others, respect for you as a working mom, and that it didn't matter if you were "cool" and got a ride.
Thank you for NOT packing my lunch in the morning - I not only got to pick out what food I wanted to eat, but you also gave me a choice of school lunch or what I wanted from home - it taught me to again, be responsible and understand what foods were OK to eat and bring to school each day! Thank you for providing that food to me - and the money for lunch!

Thank you for coming to each and every conference at school and speaking to my teachers. Thank you for not giving me "rewards" for good behavior or great grades (which I always got!) because you and I both knew that it was expected and shouldn't be rewarded. Thank you for making me complete chores at home - it showed me that we as children need to learn responsibility, leadership, organization, and humility at a young age.

Thank you for the 3-4 movie movie nights with pizza, candy, soda, and fast food. Thank you for making us fix our own meals every once in awhile, even though I can't cook, I still cherish the fact that I am able to put food in front of me, some way, somehow!

Thank you for giving me options of sports while I was younger so that my love of mainly soccer, but softball, too, could grow into a dream.

Thank you for sacrificing, organizing, and attending all the practices and games for the said above sports.
Thank you for helping me choose between something I just enjoyed, or something that I loved. Thank you for helping me push towards that dream - to play soccer in college.

Thank you for the many, many, many drives and carpools to practices where you hung around, ran errands, and sacrificed your time at home while you waited for practice to end and then continued to drive my friends home first before we headed home.

Thank you thank you thank you for all the long weekends you spent traveling, spending money, and organizing trips to my soccer tournaments. Thank you for attending as many as you could - even when you had to split time between Charlie and I - you were there whenever you could, no questions asked. Thank you for the support you gave me when I wanted more out of the sport.

Thank you for making me get a job to earn my way into owning a car, paying for my fun times, and just be a teenager.

Thank you for the endless hours of school work you put in after working 40 hour weeks after raising 3 kids after soccer practices after weekends of tournaments. You showed me how hard work really does pay off and that if you want to do something, you can do it - it doesn't matter what age, what stage of life, and how long it takes. Thank you for showing me that loving your job, the people you surround yourself with, and your schooling - can really pay off if you want it.

Thank you for researching colleges for me when I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. Thank you for filling out application after application and getting Grant out to watch me play soccer - that was the most important day of my life and it was because of you.
Thank you for making college a reality for me.
Thank you for letting my dream, playing soccer in college, come true. Thank you for helping me pay for my college tuition. Thank you for letting soccer and playing full-time, become my job for 5 months of the school year.
Thank you for driving 3 hours each way, to watch me play whenever you could. Thank you for traveling to Santa Barbara, California to watch me play in the National Tournament (and lose) - thank you for your encouragement and support during that hard time.

Thank you for traveling to Daytona Beach Florida for my last collegiate soccer tournament, and thank you for the support and mini-vacation after I played my last game at Concordia University.

Thank you for being there for me during my darker year of my Freshmen Year. Thank you for being there for me when I thought life was over because of a boy and reminding me that life goes on, love happens, and there are bigger and better things in my future.

Thank you for supporting my new happiness of my ex - and then thank you for your support when that turned into a wedding, a marriage, a mis-carriage, and a divorce. Thank you for jumping on a plane in an instant when I needed you. Thank you for understanding the reasons behind the divorce and realizing that life goes on, love will still happen, and that there were still bigger and better things in my future.

Thank you for the support when I introduced my soul mate, Aaron, to the family and accepting him like a son. Thank you for the never-ending support over the last 4 years of our relationship. Thank you for showing me what a true marriage looks like, what love is, and how when 2 people are in love - they show it, they live it, they fight it, they make up, and they understand one another like the back of their own hand and are still happily in love after 25 years of marriage.
Thank you for showing me that love is there - even after a hardship in the past.

Thank you for becoming the best grandma around to your first grand-daughter.


Did I say enough thank you's? I know that there is more and more I could say - but it still wouldn't be enough.
Thank you mom. For everything. I am who I am because of you.