With the passing of Thanksgiving, the air is filled with feelings of thanks and gratitude. And one of the people we should be thanking the most is our mom.

Dear Mom,

Thank you for everything you’ve ever done for me. Thank you for taking care of me when I was sick and whining that I felt horrible. I’m the worst patient in the world when I’m sick. Thank you for always encouraging me to do my best. You always know what to say when I’ve lost all confidence in myself. Thank you for always being my biggest fan. Whether it was for sports or school, you were always the loudest cheering me on. Thank you for all the driving you did for me before I was 16. Even for those stupid mall trips that you hated, but went on anyway. Thank you for all the sports pictures you bought, even though they were never necessary to have. Thank you for all the presents for my birthday and Christmas that I sometimes didn’t deserve. Thank you for all the cookies and treats you make, you’re the best baker I know. Thank you for putting food on the table and always making sure I had enough. Thank you for answering all the crying phone calls when I was scared, freaking out, or didn’t know what to do. Thank you for gossiping with me about everything, no matter how unimportant it was. Thank you for the lame jokes and the puns, the greatest equivalent to dad jokes. Thank you for loving me, especially when sometimes I don’t love myself. But most of all, thank you for being the coolest female I know, thank you for being my mom.

I see people from my generation who don’t appreciate their moms. Their moms try too hard to be their best friends and their buddies that they don’t spend time raising them, and then they take advantage of their moms. If my mom wasn’t tough on me growing up or tried too hard to be my best friend, I wouldn’t be who I am today. She taught me my manners, she taught me how to show respect to others, she taught me how to be loving towards your family and friends, she taught me to have self-respect for myself, and she taught me that family is the most important thing.

My mom deserves more than the world for what she’s dealt with raising my brother and me. We weren’t always easy to raise and live with. I also don’t always show her that I appreciate her and I don’t mean to do it, but it’s so easy to get lost in other things. So this is a word of advice, appreciate your mom, show her you appreciate her, even though she deserves the universe, it doesn’t take it to show her how much you care. Spend time with your mom, because when you’re old and your mom isn’t around anymore, you’re going to wish you did. Your mom can be your best friend, but remember that she’s also your mom, and she deserves your respect as that. She brought you into this world, remember that. Love your mom, she’s loved you since day one. And remember this, your mom has lived in this world without you, you haven’t lived in this world without her, when she gives you advice about the world, believe her and listen.

Mom, I’m thankful for you, and I love you.