Thanks,
Mom

6. Moms sometimes have a funny way of showing they care. After two years of college, I moved to Florida for a few months. (I didn’t drop out; I just decided not to go back.) I needed fresh air and time to think before I could imagine my path forward. One evening, after a long shift at the Ponderosa Steakhouse, I opened this letter:

Dear Leslie,

Consider what you will do if FIT doesn’t work out for you next fall. Do you have an alternative plan? You’d better think about it, or you’ll be working as a waitress all your life. How does that sound?

All for now.

Love,
Mom

The truth is: I’ve spent most of my life trying not to disappoint my mother, and that has actually turned out to be pretty good motivation. Also, she was right. What was I doing with my life?

The sweetest pic I could find of Mom and me