happy birthday mom , rest in peace .

today would be my mother's fiftieth birthday.
i always considered what my mother would be losing because of her death. she wouldn't see me graduate high school or college or meet my children. i didn't realize i would miss out on the numerous cornerstones that she had yet to reach. i'll miss out on a few things - my parents 30th, 40th, & 50th wedding anniversary, my mother's grey hairs and her wisdom about children and marriage.

but this is homage paid to the woman who dressed up every year for Halloween. this is a tribute to the woman who took pictures with me at the mall even though she knew it was ghetto. this is love to the woman who taught me to respect myself, be true to myself, and embrace my unique aura. although she was on this earth for a short amount of time, i am convinced that only an exceptional woman could keep her legacy living through me. happy birthday mom.