Phyllis Joan Chambers

Dear Mom,

Thank you for being the best mom a kid could ever ask for.

Thank you for all of the magical Christmas mornings with the glowing tree adorned with fresh baked gingerbread men, for the scrumptious Thanksgiving dinners, the beautiful Easter baskets and egg hunts on Easter morning - for all of the holidays you made so special.

Thank you for always being there when we were little, for welcoming us home from school with a simmering pot of corn chowder on chilly fall days, for never missing a tooth fairy visit, for bringing us and all of our friends hot chocolate with marshmallows when we were ice skating, for helping us with our homework, for showing up to school with homemade cupcakes for the entire class, and for coming to my art class and creating masterpieces from clay (you always put all the other moms to shame. haha!), for helping us with our school projects (which were always the best!), for making amazing Halloween costumes for us every year, for sewing the prettiest dresses for special occasions, for taking us to see shows like the Vienna Choir Boys and the Nutcracker, for making the most unbelievable birthday and wedding cakes, for hosting the best birthday parties and sleepovers. Thank you for fixing us breakfast and for letting us watch our Saturday Morning cartoons before kicking us out of the house for the day, and for making Sunday nights feel special by always letting us stay up and watch (after bath time, of course) Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom and the Wonderful World of Disney movie with you and dad, and thank you for making our annual screening of The Wizard of Oz feel almost like a holiday.

Thank you for taking us to church and for teaching us the importance of fellowship, community, and family. Thank you for teaching us to think for ourselves, and for teaching us how much better it feels to be kind and compassionate, for encouraging us to lose ourselves in books and for taking us to the library, for teaching us the importance of imagination and play, for introducing us to your favorite musicals (Sound of Music, Paint Your Wagon, Fiddler on the Roof, Camelot, The King and I), and classic country music (Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, Johnny Cash, Waylon and Willie) and classic Christmas music (Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, Johnny Mathis), and for playing my favorite song of all time, "I love trash" by Oscar the Grouch over and over as we sang along. Thank you for not saying "I told you so" when I chose to play the glockenspiel, and then promptly quit the glockenspiel because it was too clunky to get on the bus, and too big and heavy to lug up the long dirt road. Thank you fostering our appreciation for nature and all living creatures, and for allowing us the space and freedom to explore the natural world around us.

Thank you for working so hard to make sure we had everything we needed, and for trying to help us understand the reasons why we couldn't always have everything that we wanted. Thank you for teaching us how to make something out of nothing, for shielding us from "adult problems" so we could "just be kids" for as long as possible, for taking such good care of us when we were sick, for teaching by example, for your unwavering positivity and for reminding us about "the flow" and the power of positive thinking, for pushing us out of our comfort zones, and for always welcoming us back home when the world beat us up, for being the most loving, warm, kind, patient grandmother (even when you weren't quite ready to be), and for sharing your magic and your creativity with your grandkids, and for always providing them with a safe haven when they needed that extra special grandma love.

Thank you for teaching us the real meaning of unconditional love, by loving us even during those times when we weren't very lovable. Thank you for never giving up on us.

We are so lucky that we got you for a mom, and we are so proud of you and all of your amazing accomplishments. You made a such a difference in the lives of so many, but nobody felt your warmth and your love more than us, and we can feel your presence still, guiding us and gently nudging us in the right direction.

We love and miss you so very much every single day, but we will carry on with all the tools and love that you shared with us, and we will do our best to make you proud. And, more than anything, we hope and pray that your afterlife is proving to be everything you ever dreamed of and more, and that we get to see you on the other side someday.

Thank you for everything, mom. With full hearts we remain....your "kids".