A love letter to my mother

My Dearest Mama,

Every single day since I became a mom, I have found myself marveling at how you did it all. I sometimes call you in the middle of a challenging motherhood moment to remind you what a wonderful job you did with us. This is supposed to be for you, but it always proves to be even better for me. Your whole being, mother and beyond, reminds me why I admire you so much more than you will ever know. 

Like most Burundian mothers, you had a lot of children. 8 of us to be exact. In all of my years growing up, I can count the number of times I heard you raise your voice. You seemed like you were smooth sailing through this motherhood gig, but now I know better. You just had enough grace to keep your cool even when circumstances demanded otherwise. 

My mother. You are kind in a way that I still fail to understand. When I think of unconditional love, I think of you. We, the children, have made our way through life with you by our side. We have sometimes made selfish decisions as adults, but you have never used them against us. Your love has grown even bigger since your grandchildren have arrived. You have given them your all just like you did for us. They are blessed to have you as their grandmother

My biggest dream in life is to be the mother that you are. While raising a family of my own, I want your strength. I want your intellect. I want your patience. I want your wisdom. I want to be completely present in my children's every experience, like you have been for me. 

Thank you for being the mother we all needed. I want you to never question whether you were a good enough mom. There is nothing I would change. It is time for you to sit back, relax, and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Thank you for being my rock. 

Your baby girl,

NMK