I've written this letter almost a million times, and words have always failed me. My mother has done absolutely everything for me, and I feel that nothing I could write in a letter could ever come close to all of the sacrifices she has made for me and my siblings.
First of all, she is the greatest mother anyone could ever ask for. Although we haven't always gotten along, she still would do anything for me and I often took that for granted when I was younger.
Even when we had nothing, she somehow made it seem like we did. We didn't always have it easy, but she always made even the darkest of times feel like an adventure.
She's way cooler than I'll ever be, just ask anyone at my high school. The only reason anyone knew who I was was because I was her daughter.
She's given me a legacy to live up to, and everyone says I'm becoming just like her. Which used to scare me as a teenager and now feels like the highest compliment anyone could ever give me.
Even though she didn't always understand me, she showed up to everything I did. From NHS Inductions to soccer games she didn't know anything about, I could always see her in the stands, cheering me on.
I can never thank her enough for scaring off every guy that she somehow knew was not good enough. I wish I would have listened to her more.
She knew all of my fake friends before I did, and wanted nothing more than for me to be happy. Although she did not like many of my friends, she understood that I did and that they were genuine, and were good for me.
She accepts everyone, no matter what. If they mean something to me, they mean something to her, even if she didn't like them personally.
She has always been my biggest supporter, in more ways than one. Always pushing me to be better even if I thought I was the best I could be, with school, sports and anything I ever tried and put effort towards.
She shares everything I've ever written on this website, and always lets me know that she's proud of me. My victories are hers because I wouldn't be who I am today without her.
Being away from her for the first time is one of the hardest experiences I've ever had. I used to come home to her every night and tell her every single detail about my day while she listened and laughed with me.
I never knew how much being away from her would affect me, and I miss her every day. But I know she's still in my corner, supporting me every step of the way as I decide where I will find my place in this world.
And I know she will continue to do so until the day that she can't, no matter what. I love you, momma.