Just For My Mother

For many years, you were the enemy. I judged you harshly and blamed you for every bad thing that happened to me. You were larger than life and not human in my eyes. Mistakes were not meant to happen and were not easily forgiven. I couldn’t see the wood from the trees until much later when I became a mother myself. Hindsight is a wonderful thing to possess when you get older. Becoming a mother for the second time has revealed many things to me, most important of which is the fact that you were and are an excellent mother. You did the best you could under sometimes very difficult conditions, conditions I never appreciated or fully understood until now. Being a mother sometimes means that you have to be bad for the greater good so all those times you forced me to learn and read eventually culminated into the passion I now possess for literature and writing. You have modelled me into becoming a resilient woman, by giving me the tools to make me strong. I accused you of so much and failed you as a daughter in so many ways, yet throughout it all, your love has been constant and unwavering. The most beautiful relationship a woman can ever possess is one with her mother. I no longer see you as just my mum. You are a woman. A hardworking, strong woman who sacrificed a lot to teach me the core values I now govern my life by. Lovebeing the most salient of those lessons.

So today, I want to thank you for teaching me the power of love. For being patient, loving and kind at times when I am not kind to myself. You haven’t had an easy life yet your endurance, perseverance and inherent strength shines through in the fact that you remain positive during all of life’s many challenges. That to me, is the true measure of character.

You are not perfect, this I know now. Neither am I. However, the love that resonates within us and between us far surpasses the imperfections we both possess. So, today I want to just let you know how blessed I feel. I am divinely favoured and I am honoured to call myself your daughter and I want to thank you for every sacrifice you made for me.

I love you always.