Childhoodtake2!

One day, in the very near future
you will both be grown.
You will both be looking back on this time
they will all be memories and a guide for how to live your life.

And I am now trying to live a life with you in which you will look back and say...

"My mom would stroke my hair while I would tell her about the glorious and ugly parts of my day. She wouldn't fix anything, she wouldn't judge anyone, she would listen. She would ask me questions so I knew she was there, listening and always interested, because my mom...she listened to me."

"My mom, she taught me about friendship and framily. She taught me about this precious circle that you get to build around you and how we always build people up, never tear them down. My mom taught me that with all things in life, it does take a village and my mom really turned to her village, really got the support she needed and my mom, she taught me all about how important the family you pick for yourself is."

"My mom, she would always work so hard, too hard. She taught me to never give up, but to always walk away when it didn't feel right. My mom told me to work smart and even though she struggled with balance, she always found her way back, to us."

"My mom was clearly afraid of the entire world around her, but dammit, she used her fear to move her, not paralyze her. My mom taught me to not be ashamed if things scared me, that was normal, that means you really mean it, but what you do with the fear and how you walk through or away from it, that's what will define you."

"My mom, she always made people feel good about themselves. I wouldn't overhear her talk about other people, she liked to talk about ideas and things and only talked about ways to help others. She dedicated her life to childhood, and building people up."

"My mom, she loved to laugh, it was her favorite and she became a brand new person after a really good hard right from her gut laugh. She always talked about the importance of joy and laughter and finding humor, especially when things were really serious. My mom, she could be too serious a lot and as soon as she saw it take over, she would go out and find humor."

"My mom, she gave hugs, not just with her arms, but with her words and her smile. You could tell on her face how much she loved us. You could feel it in her touch, you could see how proud she was of us. My mom didn't know if she would ever be a mom, but she always reminded us that it was her best decision and what she loved and cherished most, my mom, she loved being my mom."

"My mom, she always believed me. She reminded me that we were a team and part of something bigger than just ourselves. She would tell us how important trust was so she could always be on our side and advocate for us, when we didn't feel like we had a voice. She didn't rush to save me, because she knew I was strong enough, it's just that my mom, she was on my side."

"My mom, she taught me how to say things like 'that's not okay' or 'I am walking away now' or 'you are not allowed to talk to me like that' or 'I deserve better'. My mom, she taught me to believe in myself too."

"My mom, she taught me how to apologize, how to fix a wrong. She taught me that mistakes happen and people make them and even though we are good people, we sometimes make really bad or angry choices. My mom, she taught me to take the time I need to realize my part in it and take responsibility for that part."

"My mom, she taught me to fall in love with learning. Because there is always more to learn. She taught me to never stop gathering information, never stop searching for the truth."

"My mom, she taught me really key words like compassion, kindness, generosity, team work, listening, friendship, and honesty. She made us practice those key words, she made me live by them."

"My mom, she really believed in love. She believed in working for it, she believed in protecting it, she believed in its healing powers. My mom and dad were in love and taught us that love never looks like it does in the movies, but there is so much extraordinary in the ordinary."

"My mom, god, she just loved us. With everything she had, she used it to love us."