A Thank You Note for Mom

My eulogy for Mom was based on a thank you note I wrote her in 2010 for an ACTS Retreat she was attending.  The letter is as follows:

A Thank You Note for Mom

Dear Mom (Thelma Drouet for those who don’t know who I am):

I want to take part in your ACTS Retreat by sending you this Thank You note.  While I don’t have the pretty stationary and card program that you use for your sweet cards, I think you will know that this comes from the heart.

I want to keep this short so I thought I’d just list some of the things that I wanted to thank you for.  The list grew into this:

1. Love
2. Caring
3. Faith/Church
4. Expectations/Education
5. Sacrifice
6. Food
7. Family/History/Cajuns
8. Dancing
9. Personality
10. Friends

First, thank you for your Love that you have given me and shared with all you come into contact with.  Your actions in 2-10 above reflect the Love you have for everyone you care for, especially your family.  It is easy to take for granted a Mother’s Love when you have MawDee for a mom but I do realize that not all humans are so lucky or blessed.  I only have to look at Pop’s situation to realize that all of us do not have the kind of mother’s Love that I have been blessed with.  Many souls in this world go to bed every night wishing that they had a mother that loved them.  I never had that to worry about in my life.  Thank you for such perfect motherly Love.

Second, your Caring for others is a great example to me and Kathy and all of your grandchildren and great grandchildren.  All who know you feel your deep Caring and know that they can count on you to be there in their times of need and trouble.  Thank you for Caring and passing that great gift on you future generations.

Third, your unbreakable Faith and love of the Catholic Church is something I truly admire about you and thank you for.  Your love of Maw Maw’s Faith shows through in all of the respect and love you have for the Church.   Your Faith is the gold standard as for as I’m concerned and I thank you for living in that Faith for all the world to see and setting an example for all of us.

Fourth, your high Expectations of your family and me are greatly appreciated.  You expected nothing but the best from me and expected me to do the right thing.  I have strived to do just that—whether it meant doing my best in school and making good grades to staying out of trouble and leading a life that you would be proud of me for.  Thank you for such Expectations—it has made me a better man and father.

Fifth, thank you for all of your Sacrifices on behalf of the family and me.  It did not go unnoticed that you worked a second job to make enough money to send me to Rice.  Your continued willingness to work when others of your generation stayed at home in order to afford the Lake home was a great Sacrifice.  And finally, your great devotion and Sacrifice for Pop during his long illness in his later years did not go unseen.  Thank you for your Sacrifices.

Sixth, how about that Food!  We all know that all who know you love your Food—not only because it is delicious but also because it represents the warmth and love you have for those who eat it.  My love of cooking comes from you and I thank you on behalf of all those who you have welcomed into your home and made a meal for them on the fly.  No wonder they keep coming back!

Seventh, thank you for your love of your Family History, especially the Cajun heritage.  From the food to the language to the Cajun love for life; you epitomize that Joie de vivre.  Merci Beaucoup!

Eighth, I love your love of Dancing and I thank you for passing on that Dancing gene to Kathy and me.  When you danced with Pop, I remember the great line about Ginger Rogers and Fred Astair—he was a great dancer but Ginger did all the same moves going backwards and in high heels!  I never had to worry about you following me when we Danced—as you always said, ‘you just lead and I’ll follow in whatever you do’.  Thank you for your love of Dancing and sharing it with Kathy and me!

Ninth, I thank you for your Personality and people skills.  Everyone knows Thelma or Maw Dee when she comes into the room.  You never meet a stranger and make everyone, even the lowest clerk, feel that they are the CEO of store.  Thank you for being that way and sharing your Personality with all of us.

Tenth and finally, I thank you for all your Friends going back to your old high school days and including your new Friends from your new church in Buna.  Because of the items mentioned above, your black book is filled to the brim of Friends old and new.  Thank you for sharing them with all of us.

Your loving son,

Kirwin