To my mama…
Who was raised by a strong single mama.
Who got her first job as a teenager and worked consistently and worked hard her whole life.
Who birthed me, her first baby, in six hours and without medication.
Who nursed me and pumped milk for me when she had to go back to work just eight weeks after I was born.
Who birthed my brother in four hours.
Who had two children in under two years.
Who lost her husband (our father) when she was 29 and both of her children were under four.
Who worked her butt off to provide for us.
Who then met the love of her life, who happens to be female.
Who raised two children with a female partner in a time when it was less accepted.
Who held me when I cried when I was little.
Who taught me to eat on my own, use the toilet, ride a bike, wash dishes, do laundry, cook, and clean (these skills have come in handy).
Who came to each silly show I was in (wrong dance moves, bad singing, and all).
Who watched as her mom had to stop her nursing career because of her symptoms from multiple sclerosis.
Who dealt with me through those teenage years- yikes!
Who proudly attended each graduation.
Who drove me to college.
Who lost her own tough-as-nails mama to cancer.
Who watched me move away.
Who celebrated my successes.
Who held me again when I came back to her as an adult and cried.
Who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and had to stop working.
Who listens to me complain.
Who is patient with me, even when I’m not able to visit her because I’m waiting on another woman to become a mama.
Who talks with me about birth and parenting.
Who loves me.
To my mama…thank you. Love you.