To Mommy on my wedding day.

Dear mommy,

Today,I will get married. I will become someone’s wife even if I don’t know how to cook or do laundry or take care of a plant or sew a button on. I will become someone’s daughter-in-law even though I haven’t really perfected the art of being YOUR daughter. I will become someone else’s sister even if I’m still in the scream-kick-punch-strangle stage with mine. Wife,daughter-in-law,sister-in-law… All these new roles to play but I will always keep coming back to one: Mommy’s Girl. No matter where I go, or what I do, or who I’m with, I will always be thankful for everything you’ve done for me. For being unselfish with your time, your efforts, your money, your support and most of all, your love.

Through the worst times, you never showed us weakness. And through my bad times, I gather strength from you. If I could be half the wife and mother that you were, I’d be set for life. But I know I could never be like you because there’s no one else like you.

Thank you for buying me all those books because they taught me to believe in fairytales, to dream without limits and to explore endless possibilities.

Thank you for all those yummy, mouth watering, fattening, cholesterol-loaded meals that you cook because they taught me meals and mealtimes should be shared with family and friends.

Thank you for buying me new clothes and jeans with bigger waist sizes because it makes me feel like I will always be accepted and loved no matter how much weight I gain or how long skin allergy stays or how many zits I grow.

Thank you for understanding my cigarette-smoking-beer-drinking-party-girl rebel days because I now realize if I didn’t go through that, I would be a very confused, very bitter, very naïve, very boring 50-year-old with a whole lot of what-ifs and regrets. True, experience is the best teacher.

Thank you for accepting my friends,old and new alike, into our home and into our lives. they are the best support group anyone could ever ask for. But most of all, thank you for accepting Mike without questions, for trusting him without doubts, for treating him like he’s been part of the family for a long time, for giving love that is beyond unconditional.

Thank you for everything Mommy. I can never say thank you enough. All that I am, I owe to you. And all I ever will be, will be in honor of you.

Love, Lizette.