I just want to tell you how amazing I truly think you are.  You have to be one of the strongest people I know, and the fact that I get you as my mama is like winning the lottery.  I wish…oh how I wish…that I could go back in time and take back the times I treated you poorly or took advantage of your kindness, but I can’t…and not that this blog post or letter to you can make up for those times, but maybe it can let you and the whole world know just how awesomely, amazing I think you are.

First of all….please tell me how you did it?  How did you raise four girls, work full time and yet managed to keep the laundry done, give us a hot breakfast and dinner on the table every night?  Did you ever sleep?  I look back and I remember that I never had to worry about finding clean clothes to wear or if we’d have to scrounge for dinner…my poor kids know “fend for yourself” as a meal option way too well.  Thank you for that mama.  I never thanked you for it.  Now…I know how hard it must’ve been to stay on top of all that and I just don’t know how you did it, but thank you.

Secondly, thank you for Christmas!  I mean I know the true meaning of the season because of you, but you always made Christmas so special to us.  It is my absolute favorite time of the year and it is because of all the fond memories I have from my childhood.  One of the most special ones I remember is what I call in my head “the cabbage patch Christmas”.  It was the Christmas when every little girl on the face of the earth wanted a Cabbage Patch Kid and they were ultimately impossible to find.  Oh and I wanted one so, so badly.  You pretty much broke it to me that there was no way I was going to get one because they were sold out everywhere.  I remember how I dreamed of that doll, but was convinced I wasn’t getting one.  Then Christmas morning came…you and Daddy did the same old song and dance…we woke y’all up, Daddy said go back to bed cause Santa probably didn’t come, we didn’t, then we had to wait for Daddy to go turn on all the lights in the living room all while saying “Santa didn’t come”, then we ran in there.  There she was…my precious Cabbage Patch Doll with her blond hair and pink dress.  I never knew and may never know what you had to go through to get her, but thank you mama!  I still have her…I always thought I would give her to my daughter if I ever had one, but when the time came around…I just couldn’t…she’s that special to me.

I want to thank you also for being such a good wife to my daddy.  He struck gold the day he found you.  I wish I could just be half the wife you are mama.  I know why he has stuck around for almost 65 years…because he has the best wife in the world.  You have taken care of him for so long and now it just blesses my heart to watch him do the same for you.  I know how hard things have been for you since you’ve lost so much of your eyesight.  Having your independence to drive, sew, read and do so much taken from you has been so hard, but your husband, my daddy has made it his mission to be there for you and help you with things that you can’t do so easily anymore.  He does that because he knows you deserve it.  He knows what all you have done for him and us over the years and he is just returning your kindness.

Lastly, I want to thank you for your steadfast, constant prayers and for being a Godly influence on all of us.  Mama your dedication to your relationship with God, your prayer life and your Christian walk is the best gift you ever gave any of us.  I truly believe, with all of my heart, because of your faithfulness that we all turned out pretty good.  I believe our lives have been blessed because of the prayers you prayed for us every day of our lives.  Now, as I watch all of your grandchildren…my sisters’ kids, my kids, my sisters’ kids’ kids…I see generation after generation who are blessed by you and your prayers.  (Psalm 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go;even when he is old he will not depart from it.)

Mama, I know you aren’t boastful and you are so very humble so forgive me for putting this out for all to see.  You deserve some honor for being who you are.  So this letter is for you, but it is also to honor you and the beautiful soul that you are.  This isn’t even a tenth of the things you’ve done for me and in my lifetime, but hopefully it gives you the idea of how much you mean to me and how very much I love you!

Sincerely,

Your baby daughter (and now maybe your favorite daughter…just kidding, just kidding)