for my mom and for all Kossack moms

[yes, I know I am a day early, but I won't be online much tomorrow because I will be spending the day with my mom and grandmother]

A big happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!

With Mother's Day coming up, I've been thinking a lot about my mom, and how lucky I have been to have such a wonderful relationship her. I've known so many people who have had really bad relationships with their parents, so I feel extremely blessed that my mother has always been there for me.

I've also been thinking about the wonderful moms I have met here on Daily Kos.

Thank you to my mom

Growing up, my mother was not a political liberal at all, however, she instilled in me many values which were really very progressive and which have helped shape my own political beliefs.

She has always been a very independent woman. Before she met my father, she worked as a nurse. She lived on her own, and traveled to Europe by herself. Because she was older than most of her friends when she got married, she knew what it was like to have people pressuring her to find a man and start making babies. She taught me that being independent and being happy with my life was more important than finding a man.

When I was an annoying kid with a million questions, she did all that she could to encourage my curiosity. She took me to the library, to museums, and to nature centers. When I started trying to draw on every flat surface in the house, instead of getting angry, she enrolled me in the children's  art classes at a local gallery.

She raised me to be a strong woman. She always told me that I could be anything that I wanted to be and that what I had between my ears was the more important that how I looked, or whether or not other people approved of me.

She taught me about what women from her generation went through, so I would always be thankful for the opportunities I've had.

She taught me about the importance of showing kindness and compassion towards others, and has been example of those values all her life. She currently works at an "adult daycare" for people with Alzheimer's disease. In her spare time, she volunteers helping children who are struggling to learn how to read.

As I entered adulthood, she always encouraged me and supported me.

When I was in my early 20s, and she found out I was gay, while it confused and worried her, she didn't push me away. Instead she did all she could to learn about what I was going through. She asked me lots of questions, asked me for books, and we had long talks that went until the wee hours of the morning.

She has always been open to new ideas and to learning new things. In recent years, she has become very liberal because she has seen the damage that has been done by the Republicans. She was 50 years old the first time that she voted for a Democrat (Gore in 2000).

I feel like I owe so much to her, for all that she has given me.

I also want to use this space to say thank you to all the moms on Daily Kos...

Thank you for raising strong sons and strong daughters who will be tomorrow's leaders.

Thank you showing us what true family values are: love, respect, and kindness towards all people rather than hatred and fear of those who are different from us.

Thank you for raising children who will know the importance of caring for our environment.

Thank you for raising children who will know the importance of being involved in the world around them.

Thank you for doing all that you can to make sure that no more sons and daughters will have to go to war.

Thank you for the compassion you show towards our fallen soldiers and their families.

Thank you for sharing your experiences with us.

Thank you for the sacrifices you have made for your children.

Thank you for all that you are doing to fight for every child to have health care.

Thank you for all that you are doing to fight for a good education for every child.

Thank you to the moms here for all that you are doing to make our world a better place.

Thank you for raising your children to also do their part to make our world a better place.

THANK YOU! And Happy Mother's Day!!!!