happy birthday

if i could go back in time, i would babysit my mom as a child. i would braid her hair and i would take her to the ocean, the mountains, the drive in. i would hug her tight when she skinned her knees and i would laugh when she jumped in the mud, splattering designs all over the canvas of her world.
i would introduce her to music and i would read books with her and i would make her toast and ginger ale when she is sick. i would tell her i love her every single day and i would stop everything i was doing to listen to her stories. (except, of course, when i'm on the phone. because we all know we don't interrupt our parents when they're on the phone.)
i would stretch my arms out as wide as possible and tell her:
i love you thhhiiiiiiiiiiiiisss much. and she would try her hardest to hold her arms wider and wider and i would let her win.
i would treat her as a child much the same as she treated me.
because she sure knew how to do it right.

happy birthday to the little girl who grew up to become my mother.

i think she's pretty amazing.