YOUR MOTHER IS THE FIRST NOTE OF YOUR SONG

Today is that one special day that is solely dedicated to the most important woman in most of our lives, the woman we know as "mom". She may not be your biological mother, she may be your stepmother, your aunt, your sister, your grandmother or your adoptive mother. No matter how you're related or not related, she's the one that is your guiding light, your positive influence, and in reality, she is the first note of the song of your life.

In your life, she's done so much. If she's your biological mother, she endured months of weight gain, swollen feet, nausea, back pain, and anxiety about making sure she was doing everything right to ensure you entered this world healthy. Then, she subjected herself indescribable pain and discomfort during the hours of the birth process and gave you the first note you ever sang, that first cry. If something happened that your natural mother wasn't around, someone stepped in to make sure you weren't alone, a "substitute mom" cared enough to make sure you had love and someone to be there for you.

She's been there through good, bad, difficult, impossible, maddening and crazy times with you, yet supported you in every thing you've done. She may not agree, but she never stopped standing behind you, being there for you or leaving you to flounder through growing up on your own. She cooked your meals, drove you to school, picked you up and took you to soccer practice, baseball games, ballet recitals, piano lessons, high school dances and she may have even bailed you out of jail for a stupid momentary lapse of judgement. Still, there she was. You may have slammed your door in her face as a teenager, said you hated her out of anger, or were rude to her, but you know deep down you never meant the things you said or the things you did. She's your mom, she's the one you run to when you're in trouble, she is the first one you want when you're hurting.

She is the woman whose opinion matters most when choosing the person you want to spend your life with and if she doesn't like them, she will be the first one to tell you to run or likewise, tell you to hang on to that special person. She marries you off, you leave the nest, yet still her love constantly surrounds you. She babysits your kids, helps you decorate your first home, gets you out of possible financial disaster, even though you're more than old enough to take care of yourself. She may say I told you so, but she only wants you to know that SHE DID TELL YOU SO because she cared enough to tell you so. She will be there from your first breath until either your last breath or her own last breath, extending her hand and her heart to you every day, every minute, giving you a kind of love that no other human being will be able to give you.

Your song started with that first cry the day you were born, she gave you that breath, that important first note. Through your entire life, she makes sure your notes are in tune, even if sometimes you do something that throws you out of tune here and there, she always brings you back to the right melody. She lets you create the story, lets you be your "songwriter", but always provides the background music to the song that is your life.

Thank you to the moms who cheered us on singing in our school programs, even if we sounded like a cat whose tail got stuck under a rocker, to her ears, it was the sweetest song. Thank you to the moms who made sure we stuck with instrument lessons no matter how much we complained. Thank you mom for helping us stay "in tune" with life and for always hearing how beautiful our melody could be and believing in our abilities to sing our own songs. Hug your mom, thank her for letting you "sing". Eventually her part in your song will come to an end, but your song will continue thanks to her unconditional love.

Happy Mother's Day,

Your child