Dear Mom,

Since I am completely swamped in work for finals week, I wanted to take a moment a recognize you and how much you mean to me!  Of course, I wish I could come home and spend the day with you, but Mother’s Day is inconveniently the weekend before finals week.

I want to thank you for always being an amazing role model for me.  You are the hardest working woman that I know and you have taught me the importance of    hard work and the value of doing everything to the best of my ability.

Thank you for finding the energy to cook a [delicious] dinner after a long day of work almost every day for all 21 years of my life.  You have shown me the benefit of cooking at home and you have instilled in me a passion for trying new recipes and have made me eager to cook for myself, even after a long day.  Along with that, thank you for introducing me to a variety of foods.  I think my willingness to eat just about anything can be attributed to your cooking experiments in Chinese, Thai, Indian, Cuban (and more).  I hope you’ll continue to teach me how to make all the recipes that I love and the recipes that Abuela taught you.

Thank you for always being honest, but also caring, nurturing and supportive, as well.  Your support has helped guide me to certain decisions and I don’t know that I could have done that without you there.

Thank you for realizing the value of exposing Leland and me to new things from a very young age and for encouraging us to take advantage of opportunities that came our way.  I honestly think Leland and I tried every extracurricular activity out there and although we kicked and screamed, thank you for pushing us (okay, making us) stick to the things we started.  We may have quit just about everything that we did, but we have since found things that we are passionate about and that can be attributed to the discipline and experience that we gained from all of those after school activities.  (soccer, baseball, softball, swimming, gymnastics, dance, soccer, lacrosse, track, art, Hebrew school, science camp, 4H… the list goes on and on!)  (and thank you to dad, for taking us to all of those activities!)

Thank you for introducing us to the world from such a young age and for seeing the value in visiting other countries and states.  Sorry I ruined the Puerto Rico vacation when I was two; I hope you have since forgiven me.  Thank you for taking us on many of your business trips because you knew it meant we could see a new place.  Thank you for planning fun, exciting, adventurous and educational vacations in new places.  Maybe one day we will take that three-day train ride…

Thank you for having a passion for exercise and health.  I think watching you walk around the track at EP was what sparked my interest in jogging a lap or two here and there, and look what that lap or two has become!  I have since developed a passion for health and helping people establish a healthy lifestyle.

Thank you for being Super Woman when it comes to taking care of not only us, but also your family.  You are not only the glue that holds our household together, but you are, and have been the person that makes life easier for Abuela, your sisters and Pepe.  You have used your health and ability to be there to take care of everyone else.  Abuela lived a long and full life only because of what you did for her.  I don’t know any other 96 (or was it 97) year old that goes to the beach and then wants to stay up all hours of the night, going up and down the boardwalk.  Her happiness and experiences would not have been possible without your strength.

Thank you for putting up with us ( I guess you don’t really have much of a choice…) and thank you for worrying too much.  On the other hand, thank you for giving us space to spread our wings and find our way, while still keeping open arms and an open door if we ever want to come back home.

If this doesn’t already convey it, THANK YOU for everything that you do for us.  Thank you for being an amazing mom.

I’ll bring you breakfast in bed next weekend.

Here are some flowers for you:

I love you.

Tamara