A tribute to my mother

My First Birthday Party, June 1992

When I was 10 years old, I decided I was going to be a singer, and a soccer player. My mom highly encouraged both of my passions by videotaping me every time I sang (I had full blown music videos that were recorded in our living room, and no, you can't see them). She put me in a soccer team in Everett, MA with my fifth grade best friend, and allowed my dreams to soar. Also, in spite of our financial struggles, she signed me up for piano lessons and let me start learning to play guitar when my interest in piano dwindled. She always cultivated by creativity.

Christmas in Virgina, December 25, 2009

I remember an instance, back when we still lived in Brazil, when my elementary school teacher complained to my parents that I was too creative. Apparently, I used to come into school and tell the other kids the most extraordinary stories about my life. I made up vacations, family members, pets, and every kind of adventure you can imagine. Today, I'm still not sure why my teachers saw that as a problem worth reporting to my parents, but I do know that they never restrained my imagination. My mom believed I could be anything I set my mind to. If I wanted to be a famous soccer player, she thought I could make it happen. If I decided that I wanted to become the president, or a world-renowned writer, lawyer, or doctor, she was never one to hold me back.

High School Graduation, May 2009

My teachers didn't understand the importance of a mother that believes in their child to an irrational point. I'm so grateful that she did, even though I never became a soccer player or a pop star, she taught me that I could do anything as long as I believed I could. She was there to cheer me on at every important occasion, from when I graduated from preschool to when I was baptized to my wedding day. I know she'll be there at every crossroad in my life because she's a mom... and that's what mom's do. So today, in a very uncharacteristic move for a personal blog, I'm going to make my mom the center of my post.

Thanksgiving potluck at Lynnfield Chapel, November 2009

Wedding Day, Salt Lake City, Utah (June 11, 2011)

Mom, I just wanted to say THANK YOU. Thank you for always being on my side (even when we were all pretty sure I was wrong). Thank you for instantly and unconditionally loving any friend or boyfriend I brought home. Thank you for your daily calls asking me if I've eaten, if I'm wearing a coat, if I'm getting enough sleep. Thank you for spending countless hours helping me choose a prom dress, and for paying for it without complaining that it cost well over $300 during times when we didn't know where the next paycheck was going to come from. Thank you for for making sure Dad and I got along, and for not letting him kill me when I did really stupid things. Thank you for apologizing to him on my behalf when I was too stubborn to admit I was sorry. Thank you for taking pictures of everything! I was rude and impatient, but you documented everything that I probably would have forgotten to document, and then regretted it. Thank you for being a witness to my life. Thank you for mailing me Brazilian food whenever I craved it in college. Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me your stories. Thank you for trusting me as an adult, but allowing me to forever live as a child in your eyes. Thank you for sacrificing your money, your comfort, your vanity, your time, your pride, and your unfulfilled personal dreams on my behalf. And thank you for being willing to do it again for Naomi (my 1.5 year old sister).

Brazil, November 2011

The world we live in undervalues the importance of moms. It doesn't realize that most of the world's troubles can be overcome by good moms. Moms aren't told enough how much they're loved and needed. We live to glamorize and glorify the life outside of family. We boast of degrees and social recognition, and forget that without the dedicated and hardworking mothers of the world, society would be in irrevocable chaos. I hope women everywhere will value education and contribute to the aggrandizement of their communities. I also hope they will be able to recognize that nobody does more for society than their dedicated mothers, the superheroes who change the world from the crib.

Thank you, mom, for everything you have done, and continuously do for me (and thank you to all moms who do the same). I love you. Happy Mother's Day.