My mother doesn’t like photos, so I thought this one was appropriate for giving her a shout out on Mother’s Day. I was a week old here, taking in the new world around me. The best part of this picture is not my little peanut head, but the epic size and brilliance of my mother’s red afro. You must bow down to the greatness that is that hair, people.

I’m surprising my mother with a trip home for Mother’s Day. My mother is my best friend, my biggest cheerleader, my life teacher.

She taught me to laugh. To be giving. To be strong. She taught me about love, and how one should value a person for who they are and not what they look like or do for work or how much money they have.

She taught me to “rise above it” when people try to bring you down, and to not follow the crowd and do your own thing, so long as that thing makes you happy.

Mom, I love you. I’d make you all of the sandwiches in the world. Thank you for everything.

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