I began this day with thoughts of my mother. I end this day the same way. I share with you and with those who are immortal, A Letter to an Angel.

Dear Mom,

As I grow older I realize and appreciate all the little lessons you taught me in my youth. Your lessons may have made no sense to me at the time, but over time those same lessons have saved my life and my share of heartache.

You were my first example of what a woman is and should be. Mothers are always a child’s first role model. Your confidence, strength, directness, decisiveness, savviness, humanity, passion, honesty, and spiritualism was passed to me not just by DNA but by osmosis. I learned from your example how a woman should demand to be treated by a man. Just as I learned from Dad how a man should treat a woman. You taught me that a woman’s strength is derived from embracing your femininity and by not doing so is your weakness. You provided the example of my first blueprints, my first requirements in a woman. You taught me how to pursue with tenacity and aggressiveness my goals in life. The fact that I do not have a mercurial nature is wholly attributed to you. The ability to act with decisiveness and confidence was your example to me.

The power a mother has over a son is great. Your responsibility is to develop a boy into a man and a girl into a woman. You never spoiled me, you held me accountable, you instilled responsibility and morality in me. You were successful in creating a MAN. You were successful in my sisters of creating two WOMEN.

You were the one to inspire and motivate me to write, to speak publicly, and to continually seek to learn. You gave me the gift that everyday is a new adventure and to never let the past detract from my future. To treat everyday as a resurrection of my mind and spirit in spite of what the world may throw at me. Your faith in God and the church I am still in awe of. You were born again in Christ and you lived in the glow and responsibility of walking in His path. After all these years I can definitely say you were successful in providing me with life skills that allow me to “dine with the Queen of the United Kingdom and have dessert with the street hustler on the corner.”

You were taken from me and the family way too soon. In some respects I have never gotten over it. I miss hearing your voice, I miss your wise counsel, I miss your exuberance, I miss your cooking, I miss your patience, I miss your laugh, and I miss your hugs. I know you look over us and I feel your love in my heart everyday. It took a long time for me to understand Heaven needed another angel and that is why he called you home. You are our Angel.

I Love You, I Miss You, and I Thank You.

Your Son Leslie aka, The Soul Brother