Happy Birthday! You know, when I was younger I was so eager to leave Clinton and escape and create a new life for myself (funded by you and Dad, of course, which made it a lot easier). I'm not exactly sure what I was running from, since, looking back, my childhood and adolescence was pretty damn good. But, thankfully, the two of you encouraged that sort of thing, and I was able to go to Colorado to get a great education, go to some lame college parties, learn about myself, stare at some beautiful mountains everyday, and meet my future hubs. And that first year, I emailed you everyday for advice, to vent, and for reassurance. After my first class, I thought was going to flunk out of college. Read Plato? And be able to dicuss it intelligently in class? Much too difficult for me, I thought. But you (and Dad) were always there for me, and never doubted that I could do what I wanted to do (no matter how many times that changed...). I feel so lucky to have parents who believed in me, and expresed that belief and love over and over again. I never had to doubt how you felt about me. And I still don't.
The older I get, the further I move away from where I started (hello! different continents!). And, the older I get, the more I want to be close to those who were there when I started and knew me when I was just a little girl with skinned knees and pigtails and missing teeth. I wish that you and I could get together for a glass of wine and a chat more often. I wish we could go running together every weekend, and go see movies that N and Dad might not be interested in. But I still know that I can always go home, and knowing that? Such a gift.
Happy Birthday, Mom. I wish I could be there to celebrate with you! You deserve it.
Love, Lindsay
No comments:
Post a Comment