Naleighna Kai's Literary Cafe Magazine May - Mother's Day Issue | Page 17

I believe as kids we
don’t fully understand
what our mothers go
through day in and day out.
That is, until we become adults
and there really aren’t enough
thank you’s to make up the difference.
My mother has been the best mother
any child could ask for. Sure, she’s not necessarily
perfect, but I think that’s what makes her great. Her
sense of humor, her determination, her willingness to
help others even at a high cost to herself. I learn a lot
from her, even from her mistakes. And as much as I
may “roll my eyes” as an adult, she probably thinks I’m
not listening—I am.
My mother has been there with me through my highs and my lows, and still is that
same person in my corner. She’s allowed me to make my mistakes so that I can learn
from them and have the ability to recover and bounce back. Those lessons probably
hurt worse than any whooping I ever received (yes, those were before they became a
bad thing). Everything I am as a person, I owe it to her and the other women (mother-
like figures) in my life such as Linda Belton (my Godmother), Sandra Spears, Wanda
Muhammad, and Jean Woodson (my grandmothers), Frankie Payne (my second
mom).
My mother, Naleighna Kai, has done a great deal to help shape me into an amazing
person who can take life’s punches and throw a few of my own.
Yep … My Mother did that!