We should say a nice “Thank you, Mom. I love you!” every day of the year, and not just on Mother’s Day. So that’s why I won’t call my mom and tell her today. I’ll cal her tomorrow…
But still, there’s 4 women which I want to thank them for being there for me, and to tell them the simple three words of my appreciation: “I Love you!” For everything they did for me, for the necessary push I sometimes needed to go on in my life, thank you!
- Grand-maman Rouleau: It’s now 7 years since she’s gone, and it left a void in my heart. One of the two feminine presences of my childhood, she gave me enough love to ‘tough it up’ until adulthood. Grand-papa and her were the paternal side of my family, always there to feed me until my stomach would explode, always there to encourage me and tell me how much they were proud of me. And all those New Year’s Eve I’ve spent with Grand-Maman, cooking the mythic Tourtière du Lac, and stuffing my face with homemade Ragoà»t de pattes de cochon and cherry blossoms…Being there when she gave her last breath was terrifying, but I knew she wanted me to be there, to hold her hands and transfer some of my courage for her next big adventure…I miss you a lot, Grand-ma! You taught me a lot, and I’ll always remember the words and tips you told me. I’ll cherish them until my own demise.
- Grand-maman: My mom’s mother, the one who practically raised me. The strong authority in my life, the one whom taught me how to be a decent human being apt to function in society, the one ‘not-quite-my-mother’, but always there if I needed to be reassured…The one who made me appreciate rock and metal music (yes, she loves Rammstein and Metallica), the one to take some time to explain the facts of life. The one to give me a roof, food, an education, and a chance at life…I love you too, Grand-Maman!
- Mon ancienne coloc/ancienne belle-mère/seconde mère, Josée: tu es celle qui m’a peaufiné, celle qui a prit le relais de la figure maternelle dans ma vie, à un moment o๠je n’allais pas très bien et que j’avais besoin d’une telle présence (malgré ce que je disais). Tu es celle qui m’a aidé à me relever lors de durs échecs, celle qui me soignait lorsque je fonçais dans un mur à 100km/h, celle qui me laissait pleurer sur son épaule quand je n’avais plus personne vers qui me tourner…tu es plus que la mère de mon ex, tu as prit le rà´le de la mère dans mon coeur, et j’apprécie beaucoup tout ce que tu as fais pour moi (et ce que tu fais toujours!). J’aime me tourner vers toi pour t’entendre me donner des conseils, ou juste me gaver de petits biscuits et de tisane. Ça a toujours été un réconfort pour moi, et je ne saurai jamais comment te le démontrer, sauf en disant ces petits “Je t’aime, Josée” quand je te vois 😀
- Mom: we had a rocky road since I was little. You tried your best to raise me, but had to let me go and be raised by others. You almost became a shadow at a point in my life, but now…I’m really glad we’ve put aside all the past and manage to reconstruct a nice mother-daughter relationship. You were there at an important point in my life when it was hellish, and you manage to sooth my pains, reassuring me, telling me that “everything would be fine at one point in the future”. You helped me become the woman I am today, and even if you weren’t present a lot during my childhood, you did manage to give me some tools that helped me go on in my life. I’m happy to say these words today: Mom, I love you!
