A Letter to My Mom

Dear Mom,

It’s hard to put into words how much you mean to me, but I’m going to try because you deserve it. For all those years of not appreciating you or thanking you for dedicating your life to raising your children, I want to start by saying THANK YOU. Being a mom myself has really brought to light all of the sacrifices you’ve made and the dedication you’ve had to your family and me.

Thank you for taking care of your family when you were sick or just didn’t feel like it. I never remember you complaining, even when our demands were more than you could handle, you were always there, present, being our mom even when it wasn’t easy for you.

Thank you for loving me and always making me feel like I’m enough. Thank you for supporting me in my choices and passions and for the hundreds of hours you spent driving me around, sitting in the stands, baking treats and just being there for me. I might not have said “thank you” then, but I saw you and I appreciated you.

Thank you for being home when I got home from school. I snacked and you sat and listened to me chat about me. I probably never asked about you or your day, but you were always there listening to me. I remember it being my favorite part of the day.

Thank you for fulfilling my popcorn chicken pregnancy craving when I was on bedrest and sitting with me during the few months when I couldn’t do anything but sit. Thank you for being the calm in my storm during one of the scariest times in my life, all the while you were going through a storm of your own… a storm that you didn’t deserve or ask for. Yet you never made it about you (when you should have and had full right to) and were always there for me.

Thank you for loving my girls the way you have always loved me. Thank you for being their Nana and for taking care of them while I work. Thank you for the phone calls and text messages of support when I’m stressed out after a long day or when I think I’m the world’s worst mother or when I have a sick kid and I don’t know what to do. Thank you for all of the times you’ve taken them so I can nap when I’m sick or to just run a few errands or even have some alone time.

Mom, you are truly one of the richest blessings in my life and while it may have taken me becoming a mother to truly realize how much you mean to me, I could not be more blessed by you. Being a mom can often feel like a thankless job, but I want you to know that I appreciate you and I wouldn’t be who I am today without you. You are my rock and my support and I’m the luckiest girl in the world to be able to call you my mom. I have big shoes to fill in my own journey as a mom, but I learned from the best!