By: Gabriela Yareliz
Ma, celebrating you today. Thank you for indulging my childhood obsessions. For listening to my personal (spoken) unsolicited book reports on all the books I read. For playing carritos or those mini Barbies from the McDonalds happy meals on the couch for hours. Thank you for the immense trust and independence you always granted me. Thank you for teaching us sacrificial love through your example. Thank you for always being there and not leaving us with anyone else. Thank you for teaching me to never be less or accept less.
Thank you for always holding onto faith no matter how dark it got. Thank you for sharing the hard and impossible so we could appreciate the miracles that came next. Thank you for being the one who always says, “You can always come home.” Thank you for teaching us to respect nature, plants and animals. Working outside (even when I didn’t want to) taught me a lot about life and God. Thank you for adopting Bunny (her love marked us all).
Thank you for always showing up to celebrate our successes. I always knew that when I walked across any stage, your face was in the crowd. Thank you for reading the stuff I write that no one else wants to read (lol). Thank you for always praying for us. I always feel God’s protection and shielding around me. It covers me even on the days I fail because of you.
Thank you for your encouragement when I have failed. I will never forget a difficult season where you told me not to give up and sent me a book you had read on growth mindset. It changed my life (and after several failures, there was a win). You have taught us grit, the honor owed to another life and hard work. You have taught us integrity matters.
They say motherhood means always worrying and checking in on your children because they are a piece of you out in the world. Not every mother cares or is like that, but you embody that. For that, we are grateful.
Thank you for your love. In a crazy world, love is not a given. But with you it is. And that is everything.
GABRIELA YARELIZ 