to her mom:

mom, i'm glad that you...

let me sit in your bathroom & watch you do your makeup as a girl.

that you helped us pull practical jokes on dad while he was at work on april fools day.

that you sewed us costumes for halloween, and concerts, and plays.

that you read to me even when i could read on my own.

that you were home helping us get ready for school in the mornings,

and making us lunch when we came home at noon,

and there to welcome us after school.

i'm glad that you let me help you cook dinner.

that you took me on individual date nights & overnights.

that you kept your dresses from high school for us all to play dress-up in.

and even let us wear them riding the merry-go-round.

i'm glad you bribed me to read the book of mormon in third grade,

with a kitten as incentive.

i'm glad you let me name her {and all subsequent cats over the years} kitty.

even though that is kind of a silly name.

i'm glad you designed my room for me all in pink.

that you let us believe in tooth fairies, and easter bunnies, and santa clause.

even though it was devastating to finally realize the truth.

i'm glad you let us help you garden,

and that you planted sweet peas every year.

i'm even glad you made me pick one of my favorite toys to give to one of my friends,

as an apology after i had stolen her barbie at show-and-tell.

i'm glad you wrote me love notes & left them secretly on my bed for me to find.

and that you acted happy to receive imitations of those notes over so many years.

that you signed me up for speaking, & violin, & piano, & flute lessons,

even though none of them ever really took.

i'm glad that you let me do my own hair when i wanted to,

and awfully glad you were willing to step in when that didn't go well.

i'm glad you let me buy that one puffy {and expensive} dress i really wanted,

despite the fact that it really wasn't cute.

and that you let me invite so many kids to my birthday parties.

i'm glad you made occasions feel so special, and each of us so special in them.

i hope today you feel just like that.

really very special.

'cause i love you a lot, and i'm glad you're my mom!

-leah