Happy birthday mom!

Dear mom,

            Happy birthday! And since I believe in birthdays being a big deal for the mother too, happy Stephanie’s birthday Mema, haha.

            Thank you for all the wonderful things you do and are, and thank you most of all for being you. Thank you for being my mom.

            I'm not sure what else to say that wouldn't be boring repetition, so I'm going to fill this space up with some favorite memories of you—

1. I think my first memory of you is from when I was just a little girl, maybe three or four. You came over and said you were going to take me to the aquarium, and I was so excited to go, but I was really excited to spend time with you alone. I think that was one of the first times we did, you must have been barely eighteen at that point. Anyway, I remember you or Lisa telling me there would be sharks there, and I was terrified! I turned and ran down the hall, and somehow skidded across the carpet on my knees. Good first experience of carpet burn, haha. Anyway, we went to the aquarium a few days later and I remember some song playing in the car that I can't recall off the top of my head, but I knew if I heard it again I'd know instantly. Funnily enough, I don't really remember the actual aquarium visit, haha. Or seeing the dreaded sharks.

2. I remember one Christmas, one of the best ones we had, you and Mema came over with a ton of presents. Really though, it wasn't about the presents, the best thing about that Christmas was spending it with the people I cared about most. You, my dad, Kirk, Sandra, and Mema. One of my most vivid memories of that day was that you had everything in clothing boxes all wrapped up, so everything looked the same, haha. I think Mema did too, you probably went shopping together or something, or wrapped together. That year I got a Sega Dreamcast from my dad which was really amazing, and I most clearly remember that from you I got The Legend of Zelda for my Gameboy Advance and the guide, which was so cool. Kids didn't have guides back then too often.
3. A few years ago on my birthday Marilyn Manson was playing in Tampa. That was one of the best days of my life, just because it was on my birthday that I got to see my biggest inspiration and influence. It seemed like fate, were fate to exist. Anyway, I’m really glad you went with me, that was a lot of fun.

4. Savannah!! Enough said, that was one of the best times of my life, by far. I loved that town, I can’t even explain why. Escaping there was amazing, especially with someone as awesome as you. We had so much fun both times we were there in the summer of 2009. That’s definitely a summer I’ll never forget. Seeing Miley Cyrus, waiting outside Paula Dean’s, going on the ghost tour and listening to that scary recording… remember how I was the only one brave enough to open the door in the haunted house, the door to the room where the girl on the recording was murdered? Haha, that was pretty extreme of me. I’d imagine that without you and my dad I’d never have courage to do things like that, or anything else that called for bravery. Thank you for always teaching me to stare something right in the face when I’m scared, it’s helped me so many times before and will help me so many times in the future, guaranteed.

5. What about the time you gave me the best gift ever, Portal? I freaked out beyond belief when you got me that, haha. It’s interesting too, I freaked out over a $15 used video game, but I wasn’t screaming or floundering when you got me my first desktop computer, or a laptop this past year. Or that amazing HK bag from New York, haha. I am definitely weird.

6. Remember when we made our “bucket list”? That was pretty humorous. I just found it a few weeks ago, I think it’s on my old laptop. I’m going to try and pull that back out of the woodworks again, we should get on it! Anyway, as well as that night we’ve had many awesome nights that I’ve spent at your house, too many to count and recall individually here if I even could.
7. You teaching me how to drive was extremely illegal, but regardless I had an amazing time. I never would have done that with my dad, I would have been way too nervous and he probably would have been too (sorry Daddy). It was really awesome that you let me drive around all night, for hours, until the sunrise. I didn’t even know how to drive! I had only driven a few times before, around neighborhoods going ten miles an hour. Only once before had I driven on a road, and it was a short little jaunt with my dad to get into another neighborhood. But no, you let me trek all the way to Winter Park, Casselberry, Altamonte Springs… we went all over that night, how many food joints did we stop at? I remember McDonalds, and Steak & Shake.. we stopped at a few gas stations too I think, haha.
8. BIRTHDAY PARTIES. The party you threw me at your house years ago was so much fun, I can vividly remember putting make-up on Carlos, haha. Or when I bobbed for apples, I don’t even think I got one. That was a good time.

(No editing, got to run!)