Dear Mom,

I wish I could tell you in words how much of an impact you have made on my life. Your strength during some of the most difficult times, your courage in the face of all odds, and your equal optimism through blue and grey skies have given my brother and me so many opportunities to learn. All of the best parts of us are you. I wanted to write you this letter to express how thankful I am to have been blessed with such a remarkable woman as my mother.

Thank you for always having my back. You showed me that there is such a thing as defending myself with maturity and grace, especially in the face of someone else’s ignorance. Even in the times that I have been in the wrong, you are still there to remind me that my mistakes aren’t who I am. Though I never really was able to appreciate your honesty, I thank you for it. Looking back now, I realize that your candor has helped me to grow in more ways than one. You have made me into the best person I can be because you care enough to remind me when I need to get it together. When I need to appreciate criticism as a tool to help me flourish. You remind me to stay humble when I achieve, motivated if I want things done and gracious for the opportunities that have come my way. Your lectures are always worth listening to, because they are the only times I will hear some of the hardest critiques with the best intentions.

Thank you for never letting me go through anything alone. Even the small things, like when you used to walk me to class every day in elementary school, made a difference for me. When I have been hurt or felt defeated, you have tried your very best to take some of the weight off of my shoulders -- even if that meant adding more on your own. For all the times when I would lock myself away in my room, you were there to knock on my door until I let you in, to show me that you will stand by me through anything. If I’m in tears, there isn’t much else that can make me feel better than being held by you. Somehow, you always manage to make my problems seem so small. Thank you for teaching me to never apologize to anyone for being myself. I can’t tell you how grateful I am for your lessons on how to be comfortable in my own skin. You’ve shown me that if I act with confidence, everything else will follow. Because of you, I believe that being different is a beautiful thing. Because of you, I am never afraid to say what I feel.

Thank you for taking a front row seat for all of the paramount moments in my life. From softball games to choir concerts, and even all of the times I didn’t get the lead in a play and told you not to come, you were always there. I never knew that looking out in a crowd and seeing your face was the only thing that ever really mattered to me. You never cared how many times that you saw the same performances, because you’d still sit through them, clapping loud and cheering me on. Thank you for always giving us something to believe in. You read a story to my brother and me every night; you cultivated our dreams and made magic something real for us, something that can exist in more places than just the pages from our books. I’ve never been ashamed to say that I believe in everything so strongly, because you made all of the “happily ever afters” achievable. Even through all of the past tribulations, I still believe in true love and magic.

Thank you, Mom, for raising us to be strong. For never giving up on us, or letting us give up on ourselves. When I’ve been disappointed, felt lost or filled with heartache, no one else has been as constant as you have. For the first time in my life, I am realizing that I deserve everything you’ve always said that I do -- and because of you, from here on out, I will take nothing less.

With love, forever and always,
Your daughter.