Dear Mom

Dear Mom,

Thanks for playing with me.

Thanks for letting me climb trees and pick blackberries.

Thanks for making sure I got dirty making mud pies and running around barefoot all the time.

Thanks for the quiet outdoor afternoons when I made my own mistakes and figured out solutions.

Thanks for letting us play “JELLO” in the back of the station wagon when we got close to home.

Skinned knees, bruised elbows, broken ankles, and a broken finger made me, well, me.

I remember riding my bike miles away to Miratti’s liquor store to buy an Abba Zabba with my own allowance.

I remember catching polliwogs in the creek.

I remember playing in the driveway with my little sis.

I remember playing records and dressing up.

Thanks for teaching me about art, and animals, and how to be a good mom.

‘Cause you’re the best!

I love you, Mom! Happy Mother’s Day.

Love,

Shell