For the moms.

Yesterday, I was brought nearly to tears by a conversation between myself and my oldest brother, Tirrell. Not tears of regret necessarily, but more so of epiphany. What I realized through our conversation (which ranged from discussions of what to look for in a wife to wild college stories and back) was just how much of a cornerstone my mother has truly been for my entire family. Growing up, I was never particularly close to my half-siblings (I have 3), and until very recently did not make it a priority to reach out and begin building the type of bond that I have always wanted. Through conversations with Tirrell, I have become privy to stories about my mother that I never would have known otherwise; narratives about the ways in which her undying love for all of her husband's children has helped keep us together over the years. For her endurance, passion, and commitment to walking through life with an open heart and sincere tongue, I wanna give Mom dukes a shout-out today. Love you, Ma. Never forget it.