You taught me how to fish, hunt, track, identify edible plants, fruits, nuts and several crustaceans too. Even how to traverse the woods, the ocean and a river or two, and in fact from early on hunting and gathering was all I knew.
You taught me that if I had the misfortune of hurting myself along the course of my adventures, how to tend my wounds and mend my clothes with needle and thread if that's what it came down to.
You taught me to believe in my own luck and to take pride in the work that I do, and that all the answers could be found through using my own intelligence and imagination and that expressing myself and being creative were the proudest things I could ever do.
You taught me that when the going got tough, that the tough got going, and if that was not enough, then more elbow grease is what I needed to use, and that there is a time to walk, a time to run and a time to make a stand and to only fight when there was a damn good reason to.
You taught me that my own bare feet could grow thick callouses that were much more reliable than even the best pair of shoes, as long as I took care and kept a sharp eye on where and on what I tread.
You taught me that life is a grand adventure and that even if I got stung by something along the way, that at least I had enough sense not to get snake bit a time or two, because a rhyme you had taught me helped me to differentiate between who is who.
You taught me that above all else to believe in myself and my own ability to make a difference and that when all else failed I could count only on my sense of humor to get me through, and that life is not a popularity contest, a beauty pageant nor whether I win or lose.
Mom, You gave me so much life, even sisters and a brother and took the time to teach us all everything you knew. It is absolutely what I learned from you that has always and always will help me to make it through.
Thanks for teaching me how to choose not just my choices but also my attitude.
For all of the above and so much more I owe you my deepest gratitude.
Note: I wrote this piece of poetry several years ago but decided it was worth sharing it here. Happy Mothers Day!
