Dear Mom,

I really do appreciate all that you do.

I know it might not come off that way all the time. I know I probably drive you crazy always asking you for favors or to book my next appointment, and that we call you my "Personal Assistant," but in my mind it was always just for laughs. I know that I can annoy you with my million phone calls a day and constantly asking you for your opinion on silly topics, but it's mainly because I value your opinion more than most people.

Whenever I call you from college I'm probably walking from class to class or across campus, and you always ask me "what's up?" and every time I respond with "oh nothing, just walking." I call you when I just want to talk to someone, because I know you will always be there.

From black Friday shopping to watching Family Feud to simply laughing, I know that we will always have a relationship like no other. You give some of the best advice and always know what to do in difficult situations. You also can always find my belongings when I misplace them, so it's a real bummer you aren't here to help me find things (like my computer charger which I lose all the time) at school.

I miss your home cooking and the little notes you would leave me in my lunchbox. It was comforting to know that I was never alone and that you were always there for me even during the hardest of times. You were always a shoulder to cry on, and you always will be.

Sometimes professors will tell us, "call your parents and tell them you love them," and I sit in my chair and think, I just talked to my mom and most people around me probably haven't. But then I think, when was the last time I told my mom I love her. It's not something I constantly think about or feel I have to say because I always thought it was implied, but here it is.

I love you, Mom. Thank you for being you and for always being a rock in my life. There's nobody else I would rather be calling on my walks around campus.

Your daughter,

Alex