I Am My Mother's Daughter

I am my mother’s daughter.

How many times have I said this out loud? How many times has someone else told me this? How many times have I felt this deep in my heart? Too many times to count. We look alike, we sound alike. We finish each other’s sentences. We share the same thoughts. If we butt heads, it is usually because we are arguing for the same thing, for the last line, for the last word. There is not enough space in the world to list all the reasons that I love my mom. It would be impossible for anyone to fully understand our relationship without being part of it, without being her or me. I am her mijita. I am her peach. I am her best friend–and she is mine.

If you are lucky enough to have a mom like mine, you talk to her everyday, or multiple times a day. If you are lucky enough to have a mom like mine you get care packages (no matter where you are in the world) that are filled to the brim with goodness. If you are lucky enough to have a mom like mine, you have someone who will happily be interrupted with a question, a cup of tea, or a trip to Nordstrom.

If you have a mom like mine you know it is a special occasion when she wears mascara. She only gets a manicure when you are gone, traveling outside the country or have moved out of state entirely. Don’t expect her to ever like cooking–she never has and she never will. Her house will always have rhododendrons, prayer flags and a Labrador to meet you at the door. Her office will always be a work in progress, be it a watercolor, a card to an old friend, or a manuscript. If you have a mom like mine she is a published author, a gifted poet, a charismatic speaker, a top-notch editor, and a creative writer. If you have a mom like mine, you know that she will always have an idea up her sleeve, she will always have characters chatting somewhere in the back of her head, and she will always have a cold cup of tea hidden somewhere in the house.

At times, she might go crazy. From the cords that clutter behind the TV, to dog hair that gathers in corners around the house, she might scream and yell–but who can blame her? She loves burnt toast, she loves walking on the beach in the rain, and she can read and type faster than anyone that I know.

My mom can fix anything from a broken door to a jammed zipper. She makes the best soup. She hosts the best dinner parties. My mom is the kind of friend everyone wishes they had–she is the one who will pick up the phone and call you out of the blue. My mom is the one who will send a post card to an old friend every Thursday. My mom is the one who has life long friends. My mom works hard. My mom is honest. My mom is funny. My mom is loyal. My mom is the one who you can always count on–my mom is the one who will always be there.

I love her laugh. I love her hands. I love the smell of her Jean Nate perfume when she pulls me into a hug.

My mom is a daughter, a sister, a wife, and a mother. My mom is Suz–and for me–everyday is mother’s day.

Carpe Carp Mom. I love you.

This cup is for all the moms out there–especially mine.