She made broken look beautiful and strong look invincible. She walked with the universe on her shoulders and made it look like a pair of wings.

 I honestly don’t even know where to begin and when I try and make sense out of how much you mean to me, words escape my mind. I find it impossible to express fully what you are to me. You are the strongest woman I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, and not just because I call you mom. So as I proceed, know that this doesn’t fully encapsulate my love for you, but I will try my best to muster up an inkling of your life blessings on me. This letter is to you, mom! Happy Mother’s Day!

You have and will always be my confidant and best friend. You are a woman who has had every odd known to man thrown against you and you have conquered each one with true grace and poise. They say “successful mothers are not the ones that have never struggled, they are the ones that never gave up despite their struggles.” I never fully understood how you did it as a single mom, and with a little age on myself, it baffles me even more. Sometimes I get lost in my very own mind trying to make sense out of how you mustered up enough positive emotions, energy, love, and finances to keep our little family alive and well. You had two children with constant wants and needs, with one income, and you were only one person. You not only succeeded, but you are a true hero to me because of it.

Some of the most valuable things you taught me:

 

• Foundations of Faith

You laid a foundation for us that will stand unshakeable through the test of time, and for this, I could never repay you. Lessons like this not only withstand our lifetime, but for generations forward. I often still hear you speak those words of wisdom running through my head from hundreds of miles away. Those wise words that often drove me crazy during my more difficult years are what get me through my difficult years as an adult while trying to figure out this crazy thing called life. Believe me, I know I wasn’t easy. I still emanate stubbornness and independence to a fault. Thank you for loving me through my tough days, and God knows I was tough. You raised us in a church, and no only just in church, but your example in the home replicated what a Godly woman and daughter of God should be. All of the foundational values and morals that you raised us up with, I will forever treasure. And days when you questioned your role as a mother, give yourself a pat on your back, because mom. You did a superb job!

 

• Always look for the stars

Life is tough, but so are you. Your outlook on life is contagious, and you have shown me that there is always a silver lining, despite how tough life seems at times. I tell you what, we have had many trials come our way throughout this beautiful thing we call life and not one of these circumstances have you allowed to break us or tear us apart. You have shown us that family is everything. You have shown me what it means to always look at the stars through the darkness and to embrace the good through the bad. One of my firm beliefs in life is that everything happens for a reason, thanks to you. No matter how difficult life seemed to be, you were there pushing me with words of wisdom that “this too shall pass.” No matter how low the glass was, you still focused on the blessings that we did have. It still makes me smile thinking about the nights that we were hungry and there was nothing in the kitchen and you would whip up a 4 course meal out of nothing. Those were the best ones! You worked magic in our eyes. Now I realize that it’s not about what we never had, it’s about what we’ve always had.

 

• “Do not judge, you don’t know what storm I’ve asked them to walk through –God.”

I’ve never met someone who loves so unconditionally, and I’ve never met someone who loves strangers as much as you do. From the homeless man in the park to the gentle man on the street who has more money than we could make in a lifetime. You have taught me to love from first sight and you have shown me what it feels like to love with your whole heart. I remember a dinner cruise we went on in Charleston and you joined the group of women in their 80’s on the dance floor and danced the night away. I sat back at the table and watched with amazement in my eyes thinking “God, I want to be just like her.” You will gain so much more out of loving than being afraid. I still remember riding in the car and you pulled out cash to give to a homeless man near the liquor store on Reidville Road and I said “but mom, what if he uses it for alcohol?” And you spoke words that will forever be embedded in me when you said “It’s not our place to judge. It’s our place to do our part and God will take care of the rest.” Those words have resonated within me since that day. As I have gotten older I have stood on the sound belief that I am only responsible for myself in this short time here on earth. I am responsible for how much I do or don’t do in order to help the very people around me. I am responsible for what I say and don’t say. And most importantly of all, I am responsible for how I make people feel. Despite what people have been through or what road they have chosen to walk, you taught me to love them through it. We may be the only love they see in a day or a lifetime. Having a soft heart in a cruel world is courage, not weakness.

 

• Set goals, say prayers, work hard.

Thank you for showing me and teaching me what hard work is. I’ve never met a woman as diligent in your efforts as you are. I watched you climb under houses and in attics for years wearing the same jumpsuit that every other man in the AC business put on just to keep food on our table. I watched you work an 8-5 job in the day and head straight to waitressing till 1 in the morning, sleep for 4 hours and wake up and do it all over again all while raising us. You’ve never had true overtime until you’ve lived a schedule like this. And the heart kicker is that you did it all for us, that’s the part that often makes the tears stream down my face. I honestly don’t know how you did it mom, but you did it and you did it well. And I now know what hard work is. I know, because of your example that I can do anything on my own with God’s help. I am independent (To a fault sometimes) and know that whatever life throws my way, that I can get through it because of you. There are some days that I just want to give up. Some days I ask why me in certain situations. Then I think of you, And I am instantly reminded that you didn’t choose to be a single mom raising two children on your own. You didn’t choose to be a mother and a father. You didn’t choose that road, but you did choose to embrace the cards you were handed and deal them the best you could.  And you did just that. I still am in awe of you.

 

• Let the Adventures fill your soul.

Thank you for instilling a strong sense of wanderlust in this heart of mine. You and I, we have kindred souls. Your heart will always be on the sandy shores that wash up and wash away, and mine will forever be there as well. I think partly because no matter how far I am from you, that is where I feel you the most. They say travel is the only thing that makes you richer. Despite us not having much growing up, you always made it an essential part of our being for us to get out and explore the beauty that surrounds us. I thirst for the same life passions. I remember all those warm Saturday mornings we would wake up before the sunrise, pack sandwiches, and head to the coast for the day. I will forever embrace watching those early amber sunrises with you driving down 26 and feeling the water wash over our feet on those sweet summer Saturdays. Or the time we headed north the day after Christmas because you had a surprise for us. Although I had it figured out before we ever left (You gave me these brains, you know), we were introduced to the Outer Banks on the sandy shores of North Carolina. It was the most quintessential and sleepy little coastal town I’ve ever been to and it will forever hold such sweet memories in my heart. It’s been over a decade since then and times have changed, but the memories that you gifted to us never will. They are untouched celebrations in my heart forever.

I want to thank you, from the very bottom of my heart for loving me and raising me the way you did. There are so many days that I didn’t deserve the love that you gave me. I pushed you pulled. I strayed, you stayed constant. I fought, you calmed my soul. In your embrace, I will always find the strength and warmth that I so often cannot find within myself. In the dark times, you are the light that shines. Your words resonate and keep pulling me forward. This always reminds me that tomorrow is another day and another adventure to be had. So as for Mother’s Day 2016, today is your day! Celebrate you and give yourself credit for the days when you wanted to give up, but for the days that you kept squeezing us tighter. You will forever be my favorite person and my coming home. Happy Mother’s Day momma.