I am so grateful to my mother.

She…

• Taught me to read before I started school, inspiring a life-long passion for reading and writing.
• Walked three blocks to come to rescue me from the top of the slide at the playground when it was too hot to slide down in my sun-dress and I was too chicken to climb back down the ladder.
• Taught me to sew by helping me make bean bags before my feet would even reach the pedal on the sewing machine.
• Made me ride my bike to school to teach me about independence, responsibility, and healthy living.
• Let me make forts in the living room while watching cartoons every Saturday morning.
• Didn’t disown me when I lost $20 on the way to the SuperA to pick up milk on  my bike.
• Made all my clothes when I was young, even if she was up until 2 am every night doing it.
• Picked-up all my dropped stitches on all those learn-to-knit projects I started and never finished.
• Read to me every night and introduced me to authors who have become my life-long favourites.
• Put me in French immersion in grade 1, a decision that has put me in a great place in my career 30 years later.
• Took me camping and taught me to put on a toque when my feet were cold.
• Taught me to cook from scratch.
• Made pavlova for Christmas dessert every year because she doesn’t like plum pudding or trifle (thank goodness!).
• Told me to “do what I love” as my career…best advice, EVER.
• Nagged me to clean my room…I never did, but I am pretty neat now.
• Made me raspberry rhubarb jam every year…and that rhubarb coffee cake…my favourites!

For these things, and so many more, I love my mum.

(inspired by Mary Lou Griffin-Jenkins)