To mi madre

In honor of Mother's Day, I want to pay a little homage to the woman who made me the woman I am today, my mother. She's been my best friend, bitter enemy, partner in crime, guiding light, thorn in my side, and pain in my ass. I love her so much and wouldn't change anything we've gone through for the world.

My dad skipped out when I was 6 years old, leaving my mom to be a single mother of two daughters, ages 6 and 2 and her being only 25. She worked multiple jobs to keep food on the table and a roof over our heads. We never, ever went without. I think about where I was in life at 25 and it amazes me that she did the job that she did.

She raised two self-sufficient, self-loving, respectful, down to Earth girls to become stellar human beings and I respect her for that. She never let us talk bad about our father but was always honest when we got older and asked questions.

There is so much that I wish for my mom. I wish she would find love again. She is such a gorgeous person, not only on the outside but on the inside. She has so much to offer. To have a conversation with her, you'd just fall in love with her. She's got a certain energy about her that just makes you automatically open up. Like the great Pauly Shore said, she's got "CHARISMA"!

I'm always told I look just like her and I love it. She truly is a beautiful woman. All my guy friends in high school would tell me how hot she was and I would get so mad that my friends would be checking out my mother. There is just something wrong about that. But, this means my kids' friends will be checking me out some day so I'll take it. Ha! Even people who don't know me will come up to me and ask, "Are you Carolyn's daughter?" When I reply with a yes they say, "Well of course. You look JUST like her." All I can reply with is "Thank God."

I remember when I was in my gangsta stage in about 6th grade and I always tried to play 2Pac's "Dear Mama" to her but she'd have none of it. Obviously I wasn't a little shit head like 2Pac was as depicted in the song and my mama wasn't a "crack fiend queen" or a "single mama on welfare" but it's how I wanted to show her how I appreciated her. Thank the good Lord Boyz II Men came out with "A Song For Mama". That song truly depicts how I feel about my mother.

My mom would be mortified that I'm even posting something about her on the Internet, let alone pictures. She's sort of old fashioned like that. But it just felt fitting. Thank you Mom for always being there, always forgiving, always understanding, always fun. I can only hope I'm the sort of mother to my own kids as you were to me. You taught me to love music, love family, love friends, and mostly love myself and I love you for that.

My mom would always listen to this song when I was young. It was a good song but now that I'm all grown up, I understand my mother's obsession with it. Thank you Mom for helping me become a woman.



Fallin' in love with a man, she doesn't even know...