AN ODE TO MY MOTHER

This is long overdue.

My mom babies me a lot. Each day I wake up to a text from her: “I love you so much baby.” On hard days she calls sometimes even twice a day to check in. You’d think 7 hours is enough time difference to regulate that but no. “Usiku ata kwanza sikulala” ~I didn’t particularly have any sleep last night~ this is on days when I’ve told her I’m going through a hard time. We talk a lot. Anything mom-worthy goes to mom. The thing is everything is mom-worthy. The irony of our relationship is how closer we’ve grown since I moved to New York and how the distance between the US and Kenya has made our bond tighter.

So this is an ode to my mother for the unconditional love she has shown and continues to show me. For the woman that she is- kind-hearted, smart and beautiful. For always taking care of me even when I’m miles away from her. For always reminding me that I will forever be her baby and that way I will never have to go through anything on my own. For encouraging my growth, happiness, self-confidence and love for myself and for others. We have led very different lives, she didn’t come to America like I’ve been privileged to, and yet she manages to advise me through situations she has never even lived through. For all the unrestricted wisdom she constantly trickles down to me. For keeping me sane when everything else in my life blurs into a moving target. For noticing my unspoken pain or sadness through my voice or with a simple look into my eyes. For the person that she is- caring, graceful, flawed and forgiving. This is an ode to my mother because I will never be able to tell her enough how much I love her. They say it takes a village to raise a child. My mother is my village.

I love you mommy ❤️ Not that it matters but I cried writing this and ended up holding on to more content in my heart. This 376-word blog post is by no way an accurate representation of how much you love me or how much I love you.