Thanks Mum
For carrying me for nine months and going through the pain of bringing me into this world.
Continuing to lug me around for the next several years; feeding me, burping me, holding me, bathing me,and changing all those dirty nappies.
Getting up at night, year after year, for lots of reasons, from simple feedings & basic comforting, to true emergencies.
And all the while being patient & loving.
Kissing me.
Dressing me warmly & making sure my head was covered so my brain didn't catch cold.
Holding my hand.
Teaching me how to walk & picking me up when I fell.
Making silly airplane noises so I would eat my food.
Letting me keep all my small toys even though Dad would sometimes step on them in the middle of the night in his bare feet and swear he was going to throw them all away.
Putting up with my childish temper tantrums.
Tying my shoes.
Feeling my forehead & instantly knowing
if I was coming down with something.
Wiping my nose.
Making me take my medicine and thinking up clever ways to disguise it so I could get it down.
Getting me drinks of water in the middle of the night.
Getting up at night & nursing me through earaches, stopped-up noses, upset stomachs, chicken pox, measles, colds, flu, and a hundred other undiagnosed, undefined, aches, pains, & diseases from trivial to life-threatening.
Reading to me.
Cleaning up God-knows-how-many messes of every size, shape, & description.
Changing the sheets so the bed was crisp & cool when I was hot & tired.
Letting me out of bed when I felt better, even though I probably should have stayed there for another day or two.
Cooking. Day after day, year after year.
Keeping the house clean.
Washing the dishes. ( and letting me dry )
Making me sit back from the TV so I wouldn't soak up too much radiation. ( I'm sure this saved my life )
Saving my artistic efforts and putting them on show for all the world to see.
Putting the records on the record player
because you knew how much I loved to hear the music.
Washing mountains of dirty clothes.
Mending holes & sewing on buttons.
Being fair, even though I often thought that you weren't.
Admiring just about everything I did.
Buying me new clothes & items for school.
Christmas . . . everything about Christmas.
Making sure I always gave Gran a kiss & a hug.
Making me spend time with all the relatives. ( even the boring ones )
Explaining things to me.
Being patient with me.
Not telling Dad quite a few things when he came home
Keeping your temper.
( well ... most of the time )
Making me laugh.
Running your fingers through my hair
and your nails on my scalp.
Helping with my homework.
Letting me go out alone with my friends.
Admitting it when you were wrong & I was right.
( seldom ... I admit )
Not pretending to know things that you didn't know.
Teaching me to "look it up".
Sticking up for me when I got into trouble but was in the right.
Being reasonably good humored, or at least resigned about my report cards. ( they weren't that bad ... were they ? )
Teaching me that "all the other kids have them", wasn't a good reason for buying things.
Persuading Dad to change his mind.
Encouraging me.
Discouraging me ... when needed.
Teaching me the value of telling the truth.
Teaching me good manners.
Always seeing me in a good light.
Pretending not to notice when I was acting like an idiot.
Understanding that there were just some things
I couldn't talk about with you.
Making me study.
Letting me stay up on weekends.
Cheering me up when I was disappointed.
Encouraging me when I failed.
Being there when I needed you. Quietly,
unobtrusively, undeniably.
Always !
Making me get a summer job.
Making me save part of the money I earned.
Not criticizing how I spent the money I earned.
Interceding with Dad throughout the years.
Teaching me how to take care of myself.
Always being proud of me.
Thank you mum