Dear, Mom -
On this day, fifty one years ago, at 4:20 in the morning, your sweet, baby daughter Sally Ann was born unto you! She never fussed and always has brought you joy with her smile. As she grew, she found the outdoors to be her place to learn. She hopped on a bicycle and never wanted to take her feet off the pedals. She would build unstable dirt forts with her best friend Billy. She would dare to climb wind mills in the orchards, slowly, eventually, reaching the top. She loved every stray kitten and dog that would come along to claim her as theirs, and you and dad always let her keep them and learn to care and nurture them. The Walla Walla River became her second home in the summers and, to your chagrin, she would bring home snakes and tadpoles and wonder why you didn't approve! All that country living was an education that made her want to preserve, conserve, and be in the natural world.
You taught her to be an artist, a musician, or whatever she wanted to be. You let her rider her BMX bike all across the back roads of Milton-Freewater, encouraging her to explore and seek out new and exciting places and things. You never said "no" to ambition. You always went to all the soccer and softball games. You expected her to learn to earn early on so she would have a strong work ethic. Most of all, you, like your mother before you, taught her to be compassionate, empathetic, caring, strong, an advocate, and unapologetic in her beliefs. That daughter of yours grew into a woman who wore a dress and flats to sell jewelry at a job she disliked, but knew she needed to support herself. She managed a garden center that was rated number one in the Pacific Northwest! She worked a graveyard shift loading cargo holders at the UPS plant to ship packages across the country. She also worked during the day as a wood worker making jewelry boxes and cribbage boards out of exotic wood. She went to college and got degrees in Socio-cultural Anthropology, Chicano-Latino Studies, Art Media, and Videography. She learned about people and culture and yearned to travel. She found artful expression in photography and short films. She taught preschool and worked at a cinema. She loved that job at the theatre so much that she has kept it for nearly 20 years. She was inspired by the words of
your mother and became a caregiver. That daughter of yours turned out pretty good. She is Me. Sally Ann. That little slobber box of a baby in the picture above. And I thank you every day for the life you gave me and with unconditional love, I will support you through every day of your life until we are eternally together in another time and place with all our family and animals.
I had a nice birthday, Mom. I actually did some work for the better part of the day, but it was here at home and it wasn't so bad. Tonight, Paula made us a lovely chicken enchilada dish and then I had more cake that Holly made me yesterday. My friends Kim and Ward stopped by for a quick visit outside to wish me a Happy Day. Holly and I watched a cute movie called "Lucky" and I came in here to write my letter to you.
I know it is hard right now, Mom. I am so proud of you for being so strong. Don't ever give up.
💗I love you with all my heart. Your Youngest Daughter Who Loves You Very Much, ---Sally Ann💖
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