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Dear Nathalie,

This post is more about me than about you.

Because, sometimes, it's important for mommies to think about themselves.

My birthday was yesterday. I turned blankety blank years old. Bleh.

I have a very clear memory of when your grandma turned 30. And then when she turned 40. And then, 50.

I hope that you get to have those memories. I hope they stick. I hope you get more of them than I had.

As I get older, I start to think more and more about my mom as a person. Not as my mom, but as a woman who went through a lot. I think about the struggles she had growing up. I think about the person she became and the life she created for her family.

It's still hard for me to think about your grandma for too long. I still get sad...overwhelmed sometimes with grief. But it is important to keep thinking about her. I have so many of her qualities, both the good and the bad. I have to focus on the bad so I don't repeat some of her mistakes.

But the good.....I'm so grateful for. The good makes me one kick-ass mom. We have a damn good time.

And that, dear Nathalie, is a memory I hope you hold on to.

Love,
Mom



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