Happy Birthday to my best friend
When I was little I was certain my mom was the best. I had no reason to know this for sure, but I did. I didn't know then that it was because she has always been the "youngest" mom-not in years, but in the age of her spirit. We used to skip through the parking lot of the grocery store. You loved that. "Let's skip," you said. We held hands and skipped to the car.
When it was time to come in for dinner, you stood at the door and yelled. "Olly-olly-oxen-free!" I still don't know what that means or where it came from, but I'm certain that when I'm standing on my front door in 20 years and it's time for dinner, it will escape my lips anyway. "Olly-olly-oxen-free!"
Middle school and high school were hard. We toed the fine line of being friends and being the mom and daughter. I skipped school one day with a friend and you called me. "Campbell, the school knows what you did." But you knew I was just being a teenager.
You have stood next to me and held my hand when I was having my worst days. I'd call you just to cry, and you never stopped listening. You just wanted me to be better. I am, and for a lot of reasons, that's because of you.
Now we have the best days when we spend them together. Doing nothing still feels like time well spent when I spend it with you.
Somedays I am scared to be a mom. I don't know how to give a child a sense of fairness, compassion, responsibility, passion for life.
But I know I'll do it well, because I had the best example.
When it was time to come in for dinner, you stood at the door and yelled. "Olly-olly-oxen-free!" I still don't know what that means or where it came from, but I'm certain that when I'm standing on my front door in 20 years and it's time for dinner, it will escape my lips anyway. "Olly-olly-oxen-free!"
Middle school and high school were hard. We toed the fine line of being friends and being the mom and daughter. I skipped school one day with a friend and you called me. "Campbell, the school knows what you did." But you knew I was just being a teenager.
You have stood next to me and held my hand when I was having my worst days. I'd call you just to cry, and you never stopped listening. You just wanted me to be better. I am, and for a lot of reasons, that's because of you.
Now we have the best days when we spend them together. Doing nothing still feels like time well spent when I spend it with you.
Somedays I am scared to be a mom. I don't know how to give a child a sense of fairness, compassion, responsibility, passion for life.
But I know I'll do it well, because I had the best example.