Happy Mother's Day

To my grandmother:

Thank you for asking me to watch Anne of Green Gables with you when I was 15, feeding a love for times gone by and opening new worlds to me.

Thank you for forgiving me for almost squashing your dog when I fell down the stairs.

Thank you for bearing with me during my boy-crazy and overly emotional days in my early teens.

Thank you for watching British comedies on PBS when I stayed with you on Saturday nights, igniting a wanderlust within me and believing I could someday get to those places on my own.

Thank you for telling me I never have to get married if I don't want to, when some other grandmothers would never dare proclaim such.

Thank you for telling me to remember how much you loved me after I'd told how bad my day was.

Thank you for being the funniest grandmother anyone could ask for.

Thank for making me feel loved even when you are no longer in this world.

To my mother:

You've been my best friend since the day I was born, even though for the first 15 years of my life I didn't realize that could be possible. You comforted when I was bullied, and have made me see when things really aren't so bad. You always encourage me to be who I was created to be without concern of what others think (though I'm still trying to master that). You've proofread my novels and you were my biggest fan before anyone knew I was going to be an author, before even I knew I'd make a career of scribbles. You make me laugh every single day, and you still comfort me when my days aren't good. You've done everything I could imagine, and so much more. You're the loveliest person I know.

I love the both of you.

Happy Mother's day to all of the wonderful mothers and grandmothers in the world.

-Miranda Atchley