Dear Mama,

On this day after a heated & nasty election campaign, while others are voicing their opinions verbally and through social media, I am choosing to honor you and your teachings to me.

Only God can truly judge you; don’t believe everything you see on TV, read, or hear from 3^rd/4^th parties; for they may have an agenda that will derail the path that God has set forth for you to follow. I am at work today, choosing not to get involved in any of those debates/conversations, but electing (play on words..lol) to do my job to the best of my ability today, and hoping that you and dad are proud of your son!

You taught me to speak up if I thought I was being wronged, but you also let me know not to be ignorant in going about it.  If someone has wronged you Mark, do your best to forgive them and give them a 2^nd or 3^rd chance if necessary.  If they continue to wrong you, then don’t be a fool, be done with them, pray for them, and move on.  These conversations have gone through my mind in the past few weeks, as this election thing has wound down.  I still hear my father telling me, “they’re all crooks Mark, never trust a politician” and hearing you say that most of them are the wolf in sheep’s clothing, but some of them are genuine and worth listening too. 

 

Anyway enough about that crap, it is what it is, and will be what it will be.  

Nine years ago today, your body left this earth, but your spirit and your legacy within our family lives on.  It lives on through the knowledge & wisdom that your parents & siblings taught you, and you passed that one to my brother and I, and I am doing my very best to pass that on to my two children.  There are times when I will stop to think, “my mother would NOT be happy with me right now” and I subsequently change my path, because that is the way you raised me.  You may not be here for me to call or visit with anymore, but I can still hear your voice, your wisdom, even some of your scolding’s, and that’s proof to me that you are still up there looking out for me.

On this day, for the 4^th time in the 9 years that you have been gone, I have gotten into my vehicle and 2Pac’s Dear Mama has been on the radio!  In the past, I’ve chalked it up to coincidence, but today I could do nothing but breakdown in tears.  I turned my Jeep off and took the necessary time to gather myself before starting it back up and proceeding to make my way to work.  My heart tells me that this was your sign to me that you are truly watching over us. 

I love you, I miss you, and I am so very thankful that God chose you to be my mother, because in tough times I know that I can always depend on my mama!!

Pour out some liquor and I reminisce, cause through the drama
I can always depend on my mama
And when it seems that I'm hopeless
You say the words that can get me back in focus

When I was sick as a little kid
To keep me happy there's no limit to the things you did
And all my childhood memories
Are full of all the sweet things you did for me
And even though I act crazy
I gotta thank the Lord that you made me
There are no words that can express how I feel
You never kept a secret, always stayed real
And I appreciate, how you raised me
And all the extra love that you gave me…….(2Pac, Dear Mama)