Dear Mom,

I love you. I say these words so often that they may lose their meaning when you hear them. I want you to know how much those words mean when I say them to you and in this letter that I wrote, I hope you can begin to understand the meaning of my “I love you.”

You have lived your life for me, Mom. You have watched me grow and you have grown with me every step of the way. Every time I have failed, you felt the pain that I held in my heart but worse. Every time I have succeeded, you have experienced ten times the joy that I allowed myself to feel. I grew with you before I was born into this scary world. I grew with you, up until I was born, and then I grew without you. But you never left me. You have always been a beautiful constant in my life, and there is no doubt in my mind that you always will be.

You have never once left me, Mom. I clung to you as a child and you were my home. I felt comfort in the grasp of your arms and in the familiarity of your warm skin. I grew up and these things faded from me. As I grew up, I grew further and further from you. I foolishly thought to myself how I no longer needed you in the same way as I used to. I no longer needed the comfort of your hug because I was too cool for that. I will never be too cool for you, Mom. I grew up and I made you feel like you were no longer needed. I got mad at you for being five minutes late to picking me up from school. I asked you to drop what you were doing with your life to accommodate mine. And even though it wasn’t fair, you always did it without hesitation. I am so sorry. I will need you forever, Mom.

You have always encouraged me, Mom. Even in times when you express your doubts, you support me. You ensure Dad that I will make the right decisions. You vouch for me when I haven’t given you reasons to trust me. And when I make you look bad for standing up for me, you do it again. You never have given up on me, Mom. Thank you. If it weren’t for the endless second chances that you give me, I wouldn’t have made it to where I am in life.

You have made me who I am, Mom. I don’t think you understand that. So often I hear people say “you are so much like your dad.” A lot of times I am called a “daddy’s girl” and I often identify with my father’s personality traits. I want you to know that I am nobody without you. Those words have so much meaning. You have made me exactly who I am today and I have never given you enough credit in my life for every single thing you have ever done for me. And now I want to thank you. For every single instance that you worried for me when I tried out for a sports team. For every single time you drove 30 minutes to deliver me a homework assignment I left on the dining room table. For every morning that you bent down to pick up a towel I carelessly threw on the floor of my messy room. These things may seem small but they are so big to me. And no matter how much you have felt unappreciated in your life because of my inability to recognize the importance of these actions, I need you to know that I am so grateful for you and the strong-willed dedication that you have showed me. You have been dedicated to my life ever since I existed. You have been with me each step of the way, through the ups and the downs in my crazy unpredictable life. You have always remained the same for me, Mom.

Now I am going to say those three words again. And after reading this, I hope you have a better understanding of my gratitude, which is sometimes clouded by my pride. Mom, you are beautiful in every way. You are a stunning woman who has shown nothing but kindness to those around you. Anyone who can call you a friend is lucky to say the least. And me, I am beyond lucky. I have been blessed with a mom, a best friend and a lifelong companion who will stick by my side through anything. And though I say these words a lot, this time, in this letter that I am writing to you, they are a little different. Because behind these three words is so much more than just a feeling, but it is absolutely everything. I love you, Mom.

Sincerely,

Your daughter