April 11th, 2009
Dear Girls,
The thought occurred to me the other day that not all women are raised the way I was, and the way I intend for you to be raised. You see, even in this day and age there are still women who are raised as if their opinion has no value and they provide nothing of worth to this world. But you see, that is where even Mommy did not realize how blessed she was.
Maybe you will still get to spend many more years with Nana, but you might not get to spend many more years with Mommy's Grandma and it is to her that we owe much of our strength and independence.
We were lucky enought to spend time with Grandma last weekend. She turned seventy nine years old. These days seventy nine years old is fairly common. What isn't fairly common is that Grandma is blind and has been since she was in the ninth grade. Grandma didn't let that stop her- no, she finished high school even after having to take a year off. She even went on to college and not only got her degree but also got a masters degree. She didn't stop there though, she taught college classes. She raised three children. She provided a good home for her family but not at the expense of being her own individual.
You can never tell Grandma she can't do something. She will set out to prove you wrong and she will amaze you. She can do anything that someone with eyesight can do, and more. She is intelligent. She is kind. She is strong. She lives with passion. And she passed all of those things on to Nana.
Guess what? Nana has done some pretty amazing things in her life too. She raised four children when there are days that Mommy can barely hang on with two. She worked full time, even worked over time and still made sure we had cupcakes for class parties. Homemade nonetheless. Many people know Nana and she is so very loved. She is a strong person, stronger than Mommy could ever imagine being. She has been through many ups and many downs and even when she has been down she still has managed to find a way to get through it. Nana is such a special person to Mommy, and I know that she will be just as special to each of you that you will remember her in many other ways that Mommy can't even tell you about.
I just realized last weeked as there were four generations of women in one place that we are so very lucky. All of us. Grandma could have made different choices given her circumstances but she didn't. She chose not to be a victim. She chose to make her own path in life, and she has done well on that path. Nana has been just as strong. She taught Mommy so many things, most of all how to be a strong independent woman. How not to sit back and let life pass me by. How to fight for what I believe in, to pursue what I feel strongly about, and how to be my own person regardless of what everyone else thinks.
I hope that I can raise you both with the same strength and values. I hope that you learn that you can make any choices you want. I hope that you learn to live with passion, compassion, humility, grace, and love. Yes, there was and still is a time and place where women are not treated as well as they should be. But in this house, our house, you are as equal as any other person out there. You can do anything you set your minds to, and just know that Mommy will always support you.
I love you both so very much and although I am not in a hurry to see you grow up and away from me I also know that you will both make me very proud one day.
Love, Mommy
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