Dear Mommy

Dear Mommy
Happy Birthday

Thank you…
For sharing your La Mer face cream when I was just in Middle School
For letting me wear your fancy clothes as if they were my own
For our dates to film & food & cultural festivals
For our secret laughs in China
For teaching me to never be jealous of what others have
For reinforcing as a child my voice meant just as much as the adults around me
For showing me I always have enough to share with others
For demonstrating what commitment to a cause looks like
For sharing with me your love of books & reading
For our moments cuddled watching the TMC channel & your tales about old Hollywood stars

Thank you…
For being the oral storyteller of our family and repeatedly telling me where my ancestors come from
For the inspiration seeing you stay up late at night after a full day of work to complete your masters degree assignments
For sending me an encyclopedia worth of NYT articles every week since I first created my yahoo account
For always encouraging me to relentlessness pursue knowledge and stay curious
For exposing me to Gods voice, the spiritual realm and reinforcing my natural intuition and wisdom
For remaining calm and attentive all those times I called you crying in college
For letting me stay home from boarding school because it was what I needed
For never shaming me when I needed to take that semester off from college because my mental health was falling. I will never forget the soft landing you provided.

Thank you…
For always believing the word of your children.
For making me proud of being Afro Latina before it became trendy
For forcing me to keep my natural curls and accept myself
For showing me the gift of travel. You set my example for being a solo female traveler
For your vulnerability and honesty
For constantly telling me to enjoy my life because I only get one
For the mantra “money comes & goes”
For telling me a job doesn’t own me. With each career move. I saw you grow and elevate. You are Brave.

I thank you for allowing me to tell you painful truths and adapting to my ever evolving identity.

Gosh. I could go on and on. There will never be enough words or time to revisit all the memories we share.

Thank you. Thank you for who you are.
Thank you for your love. Thank you for your seen & unseen acts of devotion & sacrifice.

I wish so much for you. I love you