Dear Momma,
Happy 92nd Heavenly Birthday! I can always remember the number because you always told me you would always be 32 years older than me, usually when I was doing something stupid or against the way you raised me. I’ve been thinking about you a lot for the past couple of weeks, reflecting on how thankful I am for the gifts you gave me, the man you made me. Today, as I sit here looking at your picture I keep on my desk, your presence is felt. Thank you for being here because your son kinda needs you today. I don’t think I said thank you nearly enough when you were here. Thank you, mom.
In retrospect I don’t think I fully appreciated the value of being raised by a strong Black woman. Raising a family, raising a Black son. I often talk about our time alone during the most important years of my life (before my bratty sisters came along). You taught me how to talk, never using “baby talk” in our conversations. I don’t know what our talks were about, but I can guarantee they instilled my love of words and language, thank you. You read to me, so I was reading before I ever set foot in a schoolhouse. There was just a report out about that there are students at Harvard who have not read a whole book! I’ve never stopped reading and currently reading three. The most important thing you taught me was to be an independent thinker and apply critical thinking skills (I’m sure it wasn’t called that 60 years ago).
Mom, thank you for doing your Black job! I’m a voter because you told me how important it was and when you were my age back then you couldn’t. To be honest, I didn’t get it then and there may have been a couple of times I didn’t, sorry. I can hear in my head you are saying, “You ain’t never going to be too big for me to knock you down boy!”
Guess what mom? I voted for a Black woman for President, not because she’s Black, but because you showed me what a strong Black woman looks like and gave me the ability to recognize that strength. My village has been filled with them all my life, women I respect, admire, and love. A lot of them are there with you on the ancestral plain, celebrating another year with you on your special day.
Thank you momma happy birthday!
