In the past couple years, my mom has become one of my most favorite people to spend my time with. I'm not sure if I have even told her that yet. So the fact that I had to go off to college without my mom was quite hard. I love my mom and have come to really appreciate everything she has done for me. She has always been the one to direct me and guide me, but also let me make my own decisions and support me in them. So today I wanted to say something that I haven't said nearly as much as I should...

Thank you, Mom.

Thank you, for loving me unconditionally. You loved me even when I was being very hard to love. You also always made sure that I knew I was loved. "I love you" was something I heard come out of your mouth daily, and I am extremely thankful for that.

Thank you, for supporting me. Whether it be telling me that my idea was good or helping me pay for that idea, you were and are always right there. You have always believed that I would make the right decision, encouraging me to be my own person (with some very helpful guidance along the way).

Thank you, for being one of my best friends. When I come home from college, you are one of the few people I want to hang out with. Even if it is just running errands with you, I love spending time with you. I love our talks in the car when we drive around town and when we go on road trips.

Thank you, for always listening to me. People who know me know how much I can talk. I talk a lot, but you will sit there and let me tell you every little detail about my day. Even though you may be only half listening sometimes, you still listen. More than just listening, you also give some great advice.

Thank you, for answering my phone calls. I have been so used to talking to you about what went on during my day everyday during the past few years, that going off to college kind of threw me off. I love being able to call you everyday and just talking about our days, catching up on each other's lives. Also, I love that you don't mind when I call you multiple times in one day. Sometimes, I just need to hear your voice.

Lastly, I want to thank you for being my mom. I may sound a little biased here, but I'm pretty sure God gave me the best mom in the world. You have always showed me how to love and be loved. You even assured me that it was okay to cry if I missed you. You told me that it was okay to miss home. But you told me that it was NOT okay to give up on college to come home just because I missed you. You told me to always follow my dreams and you know that college would enable me to do just that.

I love you, Mom. Thank you for, well, being you.