* (chorus)  I was hoping I could see you again  At the same time  same place  same everything  When I'm with you I don't need anything    You know my best interests by heart  raised me to be smart  taught at my first school  Kinda strict with the rules  every blue moon we fought  but you were always cool  Solid support from the start  showed me to do what I ought  and played a primary part  In my life and you still do  and I know you will do  whatever to love me  To take care of me  to guide me  provide me with what I need kindly  Miles away, still beside me  talking through telepathy  walking the earth, separately  It's hectic, believe me  but I'm always needy  but you're willing to feed me  And make it seem easy  like I don't know it's not  what a job you got  Gave me breast milk through red beans  made sure I kept my room clean  now I'm hardly seen    (chorus)    Raised me and my sisters  actually put up with us through every Kwanzaa and Christmas  However many years it is when this reaches your ears  studied our ideas, and interests  then kept us in books  arts or sports pretty much all semesters  Always a solid reason for any time you left us  sometimes your belt whelped us  To show you're not our playmate  encouraged us to create  not everyone can relate  Your contribution's so great  can I see you at my show date  this invitation won't wait  Realize I won't be here forever  that's how life is  we'll always be together  'Cause you get where you wanna go  you yourself told me so  which makes it better  Hope I pass before you pass  'cause you're stronger than I'm strong  but I'll see you before long    (chorus)    Almost a year  carried me with you  got married two weeks before the finale  Helped raise your family on a Baton Rouge 'hood budget  after your mama went to judgment  Gave us more don'ts than do's and if we got confused  your actions allowed us to see it  Your beauty secret  stay away from drugs and booze  left it on us to choose  What beauty was  being strong or being buzzed  you saw a lot of things in us  We didn't see in ourselves  wouldn't have known otherwise  mother who molded our lives  So unbelievably wise  I feel so young in your eyes  where a lot of my soul lies  When you're in your own house  payin' your own bills  then you grown for real  What you said I'm livin' that now  hardly get to go back  how I miss how it feels    (chorus)