I Love You More

Dear Mommy,

From the day you brought me into this world, you have surrounded me with love. You’ve always said that we “don’t pick our families!” (mostly after I’ve gotten into an argument with my brothers) but I’m sure happy that I was picked to be yours! You’ve raised four outstanding boys on your own and still managed to challenge yourself to accomplish anything you’ve put your mind to. You’ve inspired not only myself, but everyone that comes in contact with you to be kind, work hard, & share love.

I am writing this love letter to you, because as you always say, “Tomorrow is not promised!” So when I got the email to join this challenge I took it as a sign to stop what I was doing and sit in the moment to honor you & the love you’ve shared. Our lives are a reflection of what we have put out in the world, and sometimes it is hard to see how good we’ve got it with our own perception. So I hope this little letter reminds you just how beautiful you are on the inside & no doubtedly on the out.

The man who I have become and continue to evolve into is a direct reflection of the woman you are. Your kind heart, your magnetic energy, and your drive to accomplish anything feat are only a fraction of the beautiful characteristics that I’ve been blessed to develop because of my upbringing with you. I can’t even imagine what it must have been like raising for very active young men all on your own. From sports practices to theatre rehearsals to choir concerts to driving lessons and back you’ve never shown anything more than wanting the best for us. When money was tight you did what you needed to do so that we never even had a clue. I mean we rose the bar when it came to the phrase,”Eating you out of house & home!” Ha. Our home was a place of true love and acceptance. You made it a safe haven not unless for your children, but our friends might as well have lived there too. You sacrificed your own dreams and aspirations to make sure that we could thrive and excel at wherever life started to lead us. You managed to keep us in check, but also thrive yourself from answering phones at SWBell to becoming the Manager of Global Communications for AT&T. Since retirement you have gone back to college and earned the degree you started, you’ve started a workout regime with your best girlfriends from your high school, & have become the Queen of real estate now owning 8 homes and counting allowing others to call a place home that is surrounded by the same living energy that you manifested in our home.

What is the most special part is that you see motherhood as a life long commitment. It wasn’t until I became older that I became aware that not everyone is as blessed as I am to have a mother who truly loves her babies. There are many many people in this world who did not have the same parental love & guidance I have been blessed to receive. Over the last two years I have put you through the ringer of worry when it came to the struggles I’ve endured. You never left my side when I was in the hospital for those two weeks losing my vision. When I was illegally evicted & spent 5 months in a NYC Housing Shelter, you called me every single morning & reminded me that it was ok to cry, but that I was a King & needed to go out into the world & hold my head up high. I watched you lose your oldest son, your first dog, & your 90 year old mother all within one month, a shock that would take most people out, you became the backbone of this family. You know I have the worst issues when it comes to death & though I am aware that we all must go one day, I thank God every single day that I wake up to your “Good Morning King!” And fall asleep to the sweet “I love you more!” To the goodnight text/call. We don’t choose our families, but we do choose how we navigate them. And the love that you shared is as pure as love as God themself. So I hope that no matter what, you will always know, how truly special you are and that the love you’ve shared is seen & felt by every person that has had the honor of being on your presence. I love you Queen! And before you can even say it, I LOVE YOU MORE THSN THAT!