Mother's Day Letter

Dear Mom,

Here is a list of 66 things you taught me that I am grateful for. You taught me…

Not to be afraid of strangers

To be on time

To color really well with my crayons

To be open-minded about religion

To keep my house tidy

Not to worry too much about germs

To eat lots of different kinds of foods

To be honest and straightforward

Not to be stingy

To be appreciative when someone does something for me

To love the outdoors

To love sports and exercise

To love animals

To be curious

To love music

To love art

To eat my veggies

That if I wanted a friend I had to be a friend

Not to wash my hair too much

Not to waste

To be resourceful

To be adventurous

To be a good and funny story teller

To laugh at myself

To bravely look at my shortcomings

Not to overprotect children

That a little healthy irreverence is a good thing

That beauty is only skin deep

To be a fun, outrageous, and not your average run-of-the-mill mom

To use my talents

To eat well-balanced meals

That all kinds of work were honorable

That all kinds of people are honorable

To get up early and go to bed early

That meditation is good for you

To respect nature

To be conservative with the thermostat

To sing often around the house

To swim

To make proper macaroni and cheese

To buy generic when possible

To get help from others when things are hard

To be persistent

That there is a lot you can do in the backyard with a sprinkler

Not to be a fuddy-duddy

That I never have to deep-fry anything, ever

That to laugh is divine

To use alternative medicines

To believe in God

To believe in unconventional things even when they aren’t popular

To blow my nose instead of sniffing

To come home when I hear the sound of a cowbell

To love the sound of ukuleles

To pitch a softball better than most men

That cussing isn’t so damn bad

To make simple meals like “taco bar” when having company

That kids should play outside most of the time, even in winter

To apologize when I’m wrong

To be independent

To wrap presents nicely and creatively

To love Christmas music and decorations

To pay attention when kids put on a skit, even if it’s stupid

That hanging out with family is one of the most fun things in the world

That it’s important to be silly

To like Elvis and Kung Fu

To be a supportive and attentive friend to my kid

Thanks for these things and more. Happy Mother’s Day.

I love you,

Dori