Input on this Gift, Please...

[Aramelle]

Sorry, this may get a little long.

Hey ladies,
I'd really love if you would give me some input on this Christmas gift for my mom. I've been working on it off and on for the past few weeks, and now that it's done I'm worried that it's not good enough.

Just a brief explanation:
My mom and I have had a rather turbulent relationship over the past several years. She is a drug addict/alcoholic, and because of that there were a lot of rocky years as I was growing up. When I was 21, I cut her out of my life, and we did not speak for 3 years. She is now in recovery and has been clean for almost two years. I wanted to give her a gift truly from my heart this year, so I decided to put together a coffee table book with pictures from my childhood.

So, here's what I came up with...

Cover:


Page 1:

POEM-
Mothers and Daughters

You can see it in their eyes,
in tender hugs and long good-byes,
a love that only moms and daughters know.

You can see it in their smiles,
through passing years and changing styles,
a friendship that continually seems to grow.

You can see it in their lives,
the joy each one of them derives,
in just knowing that the other one is there...

To care and to understand,
lend an ear or hold a hand,
and to celebrate the memories they share.

~Author Unknown~

Page 2 & 3:

November 16, 1979:
The day our journey began.

As a little girl, I loved when you would tell me all about the day that I was born. If I close my eyes, I can still see the tender way that you would look at me and the smile on your face as you told the story. I can still remember how funny I thought it was when you would talk about Dr. Hill pushing on your belly, trying to help you push me out. I remember how you would tell me about Grandma running back and forth between the two hospitals. To this day, I smile when I think about her being the first person to hold me, and I still laugh a little at the thought of the nurses scurrying to help her when she nearly she passed out at the sight of a needle. I remember how special it always made me feel when you would tell me about the first time you saw me. The thing that I remember most, though, is how much love was in your voice as talked about that day. Listening to you tell the story, I always knew that I had been loved long before that Friday afternoon in November.

Page 4 & 5:

As an adult, I try to imagine everything you were thinking and feeling in the days leading up to and right after I was born...a young woman, facing the reality of being a single mother. I imagine all of the mixed emotions you must have had...excitement, anticipation, fear, and uncertainty.

I remember you telling me once about the day that you found out you were pregnant. At the time, I remember just thinking about how funny it was trying to picture Old Grandma being completely amazed by the concept of a home pregnancy test. Of course, I wasn't old enough at the time to understand everything that must have been going through your mind at the time. I remember being confused by you saying that at first you didn't know what to do. Now, I realize just how scared you must have been. I remember you telling me about the first time you felt me move in you…how you knew for sure then what you were going to do. I know that you had to have still been so scared of what the future would hold for the two of us.

Page 6 & 7:

POEM
Why God Made Little Girls

God made the world with its towering trees,
majestic mountains and restless seas,
then paused and said,
"It needs one more thing."

Someone to laugh and dance and sing,
to walk in the woods and gather flowers,
to commune with nature in quiet hours.

So God made little girls
with laughing eyes and bouncing curls,
with joyful hearts, and beautiful smiles,
enchanting ways and feminine wiles.

And when He'd completed the task He'd begun,
he was pleased and proud
of the job He'd done.
For the world when seen
through a little girl's eyes
greatly resembles paradise.

~Author Uknown~

Page 8 & 9:

POEM-
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator,
and I wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me, and I knew that little things are special things.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I heard you say a prayer, and I believed there is a God I can always talk to.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I felt you kiss me goodnight, and I felt loved.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw tears come from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it's all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw that you cared and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I looked...
and wanted to say thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking.

Page 10 & 11:

As I look back on my childhood, I have so many wonderful memories...far too many to try and write in this little book. I know that you think that most of what I remember about growing up is the bad stuff, but that couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, I really don't remember things being rough until I started reaching my teen years.

As a little girl, I always felt like I was your little princess. I always thought that there was something special about it being just you and me. I remember how you used to tell me that we were a team, and that seemed like a pretty great thing to be.

My absolute favorite memory of growing up was our nightly routine. I remember how, after my bath, you would have me bring my pillow out to the living room. You would lay on the couch, and I would climb up behind you and lay with my head on your hip. I think that I fell asleep that way almost every night.

Page 12 & 13:

Some of my favorite memories of my childhood are of the time when I was doing the pageants. There really isn’t much that I actually remember about the first one that I was in, but there is one thing that sticks out in my mind. That is the way it made me feel to see how proud you were. I remember like it was yesterday the day that there was an article in the paper about the winners of the pageant. You called everyone you could possibly think of to make sure that they all saw your little girl’s picture in the paper.

Regardless of what it was, you always supported me in everything that I wanted to do. You took my dreams and made them your's, and you did everything in your power to help make them come true. Whether it was dancing, pageants, modeling, or dreaming up a fantastic future as a hot-shot attorney, you always made me believe that I could do anything and everything I imagined. Your encouragement was all I ever needed. Your confidence in me gave me confidence in myself.

Page 14 & 15:


Page 16 & 17:


Page 18 & 19:

When the time came for me to follow a new dream, you were once again completely supportive. When I doubted my decision, you reassured me and helped me to believe that everything was going to be okay. You encouraged me to take a leap of faith and to follow my heart. I know that you weren't happy about the idea of me being so far away, but you put your fears aside for my sake. If it weren't for your support, I'm not sure whether I would have ever actually gotten up the nerve to make the move to Reno. I would have likely missed out the most amazing thing that has ever happened to my life.

Page 20:

The journey that we’ve traveled hasn’t always been a smooth one…there were a lot of twists, turns, bumps, and detours along the way. Through it all, though, one thing has remained constant. I love you…for everything that you are, all of your strengths and your weaknesses. I love you for always supporting me, and for making it your priority that I always knew that you loved me. Most of all, I love you for the woman that you’ve helped me to become.

I want you to know how much I treasure the relationship that we've built over the past couple of years. I can't even begin to put into words how much it means to me that I have my mom back in my life. I am so proud of you for everything that you've accomplished in the past two years. I admire you so much for the strength that you've had to change your life for the better.

There was a time when I lived my life to be nothing like my mom, but that has all changed. I am proud to be your daughter, and I can't wait to see where the next part of our journey will lead us.

[Voss102905]

Aramelle
This is awesome. I think your mom will love it and it is truly from your heart, the best gift ever.

[tomerikandlinda]

I think it is wonderful, I am sure your mother will love it

[Bianca]

Wow! That's really good! I can't imagine a better, more thoughtful gift. She'll love it!

[2bmrspage]

That looks good. Personalized gifts are always the best.

[jlume2000]

It's perfect!! I think it's the best gift a mother would want, wow amazing.

[sarahbella636]

That is really nice, great job. She'll love it!

[Aramelle]

Thanks for the input, ladies. FH keeps telling me it's great and to stop worrying, but I'm still doubting myself. Hopefully, I'll feel better about it once the book actually arrives.

[2bmrspage]

Originally Posted by Aramelle

Thanks for the input, ladies. FH keeps telling me it's great and to stop worrying, but I'm still doubting myself. Hopefully, I'll feel better about it once the book actually arrives.

I always worry about things too...but it looks good and great idea!

[mistylark]

Aramelle, I think that book is a wonderful idea!