You taught me how to live
And how to love
You taught me how to make mistakes
And how to learn from them
You taught me how to have fun
Usually at mom’s expense
You taught me about dedication
And about perseverance
You taught me about the quality of life
And not about the quantity
You taught me that I was a survivor
And that I could handle anything
You taught me how to fix a car
And how to mow the lawn
You taught me how to live with no regrets
And how to give others my happiness
You taught me the value of friendship
And that friends were family, too
You taught me how to be a parent
About how to be the best parent
You taught me mercy
And the power of forgiveness
You taught me how to laugh
Even at the worst of times
You taught me how to fish
And how to be generous
You taught me not to take life too seriously
But mostly, you taught me about life