Love Letter To Mom: Happy Mother's Day, Pat

TAMPA, FL — She's the one that loved you first, but mom is much more than that. She’s a friend, a teacher, a counselor, a shoulder to cry on — and maybe one of the toughest women you’ve ever met.

We asked Patch readers in more than 1,000 communities to tell us what their moms mean to them. Nearly 200 people responded, paying tribute not just to moms but sometimes to grandmas, sisters and daughters who deserve recognition for Mother’s Day 2021.

Here’s what Kay Whitney of Douglassville, PA had to say about mom Pat of Tampa, Florida :

Dear mom, I wish dementia hadn’t slid its way in to steal you away. I remember how you used to laugh at the way my dog would push her nose into every photo we try to take. I remember. I wish you did. I remember how you’d smile as if it were happening all over again as you’d tell me stories about growing up in San Diego in the 1930s. I remember. I wish you did. I remember how you worked double shifts as a nurse only to take us to church in your uniform and fall asleep in the pew. I remember. I wish you did. I remember how you skipped meals so we would have enough to eat. I remember. I wish you did. I remember how you’d hold dad’s hand lovingly as you walked beside him, making me feel like a silly 3rd wheel. I remember. I wish you did. I remember how excited you’d get showing me around the beaches and trails in Florida. I remember. I wish you did. I remember how you’d share your fascination over all the different palm trees and wildlife. I remember. I wish you did. I remember your love of Mexican food and how thrilled you were that one place finally did chile rellenos just how you liked it. I remember. I wish you did. I remember when you loved vetting politics and how crazy the world was with me. I remember. I wish you did. I remember how you wouldn’t let anything keep you down, mentally or physically, including open heart surgery. I remember how you used to call me just to say hi. I remember. I wish you did. I remember what it was like when you knew my name, knew who I really was and the special relationship we had. I remember. I wish you did. I’m just thankful we still share that love. Dementia can’t steal that away. You remember our mother-daughter love. And I’m so grateful for that. I love you, and mom.