Happy Mother’s Day To Claire McCrae

In celebration of Mother's Day on Sunday May 13, we asked Patch readers to write a letter to their mother and let us deliver it. This is Caissie McCrae Stephens's letter to her mom:

Although we do not share genetics, we share so much more. I always knew I was adopted. It was never a secret, just a matter of fact. There is not one day that goes by that I do not thank God that she chose me.

We have gone through a lot as mother and daughter, and she has taught me so much about what it means to be loved unconditionally, and to be resilient when life gets messy and hard. At age 79, she is still my mentor and role model. As I watch her age, and as I age, I continue to learn by watching her ability to be present and in the moment with the people she loves. I guess she has lived enough to learn that the years go by fast, even when the day is long.

Thank you, Mom, for teaching me tolerance, empathy and appreciation for life. Thank you for having the best sense of humor, as that is such a wonderful tool for healing, and a lot cheaper than therapy. Thank you for all that you do for so many of us, Mom. I can only hope that I am as present for my own daughters, as you are and have been for me.

—Caissie McCrae Stephens

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See all Mother's Day letters here.

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For next month's Love In A Small Town feature, we want to help you give Dad the best Father's Day gift ever. Write him a heartfelt letter to tell him how much he means to you, email it to locallove@patch.com and we'll feature it in your town's newsfeed on Father's Day. Get more details here.

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Image Credit: Caissie McCrae Stephens