I have lived far away from you for all of my adult life but please know how very present you are. Your melodies are sung in the way I love my children, the way I honor my husband and our relationship, the way I allow silliness and a lot of laughter in my home, in my flair for the dramatic (which doesn't come any where near yours), in my love of the musical Les Miserable, in my decision to have natural child births and nurse my babies for a very long time. I am thankful for how honest you have always been. When you messed up, you told us. I clearly remember you apologizing to me for cussing when I banged the door into your foot one day when I was probably only 5 years old. Because of memories like this I know as a mother I can mess up, I can say the wrong thing sometimes and have to apologize to my children but still be a damn good Mom. ( I think that's the word you used that day.) I just want you to know that not only am I thinking of you today but I am living you today, just in my own way.I love you.
