My mama's still my biggest fan

My Jersey Mama and I have always had a close relationship. Oh sure, there were trials and fights and "I hate you"s as we battled dealt with my horrific teenage years. But this divorce has really brought into focus how lucky and blessed I am to have my Jersey Mama and the Mountain Mark in my life.

As a "for instance": We're going to have to get rid of our beloved Shelby and re-home her (a long pissed off rant about that another day). My mom and I were just chatting and she told me "I looked into how much it would cost to have her sent out her to live with us and it's really expensive". I was speechless (Okay, not really, I'm never actually speechless). So my Mama had been not only willing to take my dog on, she had done the research on what it would cost to have her brought out to Albuquerque to live with them.

There was a lot I didn't learn from my mom (for instance, she's not exactly the home-maker type), but there's plenty I did learn from her. I learned to be strong, but to also be kind. I learned to stand up for yourself, but also to stand up for those who cannot stand for themselves. I learned to be frugal, but also to be generous. I learned to pray to God but to row for the shore. I learned to teach your kids to do for themselves but when you can you should give your kids everything you've got.

Thanks for the lessons, and everything else you do for me, Mama.