A Megaphone of Gratitude for Our Moms

Dear Moms, Grandmas, Stepmoms, Aunts, and Mother-Figures,

We don’t say it often enough, but we are so glad that you exist. You’ve taught us kindness and strength; you’ve held our hand on the first day of school and wiped our tears before we walked down the aisle. You’re the constant melody in the background of our lives. We try to mimic the advice you would give when talking to our friends. We reach out our arm to protect the passenger seat when we need to brake suddenly, the same way you did when you drove us around. We remember how you taught us to care for houseplants and try to believe in ourselves the same way you believe in us. Thank you for showing us patience during our sandpaper years and thank you for being our friend as we get older.

And a special thank you to the teachers, next-door neighbors, and extended family members who stepped in as mother-figures for those of us who needed you. You all are lifesavers and deserve all the recognition, too. We are sending much love and sunshine your way.

We hope you feel our arms extended in a group hug this Mother’s Day and if you reading this and haven’t sent a note to your mom yet - let this be your sign <3

-Neighborhood Goods

Matt with his mom and dad at the opening of our South Congress location :)

We wanted to take a moment to share a bit about what our moms mean to us. This is basically a giant megaphone of gratitude and we encourage you to chime in, whether that’s by sharing your own cherished pictures together or by calling your mom and telling her “thank you.”

“My mom is the most thoughtful person I know. She writes the best handwritten notes and always has one ready when you need a pick-me-up. Her little acts of kindness make everyone around her feel so loved!”

-Kat

“My Amma is my hero! She taught me that if I complete little tasks, whether it be something I didn't want to do (laundry) or something that didn't take that long (making my bed), with honesty and to the best of my ability, this discipline will carry over to how I handle bigger tasks. Happy Mother's Day, Amma!”

-Vijay

“My mom taught me about being kind to everyone and giving the people who don’t reciprocate your kindness, the benefit of the doubt. She gave me a love for music, plants, and treating everyone I encounter as someone deserving of respect and an encouraging conversation. Basically, she’s the best.”

-Devin

“This picture embodies so many of the attributes that describe my mother: grace, ambition, determination, resilience, success, and beauty. My mother is in her early 30’s in the photo. She was a mother to three daughters, working full-time and with the support of her husband earned her accounting degree from the University of Washington. Ten years later she earned her master’s in healthcare administration from the University of Colorado Boulder, (she and her classmates were pioneers in remote learning!) in the early 90’s. At that point she had four children and was working full-time as a hospital CFO. Maybe she will follow in her father’s academic footsteps and get her PhD in her 70’s!

My mother’s accomplishments inspire me, but I am even more inspired by the person she is. She is the type of person that sees the best in everyone, is calm under pressure, and is her children’s greatest cheerleader. I may not have all her positive qualities but having her as my role model makes me strive to be better. Happy Mother’s Day, mom!”

-Katrina

“As far back as I can remember, my Italian mom has always filled our house with music and food. She taught me to appreciate all kinds of music (and dancing without caring what people think), the importance of really good pasta, and treating everyone, no matter who, like they are family.”

-Bella

“My mom is the definition of a cool mom. When I was a kid, she would put a CD in the player and start cooking dinner while we’d both dance and sing along. I’m happy to report that 20+ years later, we’re still doing the same thing.”

-Tucker

“She's a rock for our family. I've discovered a lot about my mom in recent years, where I previously may have said that she's kind and loving (all still true), I've seen a whole new side of her that's tough and can overcome just about anything.”

-Ashley

“Almost all of my memories with my mom involve us crying from laughing so hard or dancing in the kitchen after a delicious meal and a few glasses of wine. My mom has taught me not to take life too seriously, always treat people with kindness, and how to enjoy the little things. Cheers to you Ma!”

-Brooke

“Beyond loving her for her great advice, candid sense of humor, honesty, intelligence, and mutual appreciation for a good marg, what I respect most about my mom is her advocacy for our family. She's fiercely loyal to the ones she loves and will stop at nothing to ensure they're healthy, happy, and able to be the best versions of themselves. I can always count on her to be there, no matter what. She's the best mom, and I'm so glad I'm stuck with her.”

- Fallon

“This is a photo I took of my mom, Michaelanne, when we adventured around Colorado together a couple years ago. I had a beautiful childhood growing up and her creativity, light, love, and warmth was a huge part of that. Life always felt like a storybook because of her. I thank my mom for raising me and my siblings with her compassion, courage, strength, independence, empathy, nurturing nature, and adventurous soul. I got myself a good one.”

-Miekala

“My mom is the best person I know. She volunteers with teen moms, she adopted 10 families that were displaced after hurricane Katrina, and makes sure her elderly neighbor has fresh meals and a buddy to talk to every day during quarantine. On top of this she is extremely FUN to be around. She is the life of every party, as inclusive as they come, and an incredibly hard working role model for me in my career. I would not be who I am today without you, Mom!”

-Tess