Dear Mom,

Mother's Day may have come and went, but I feel like it needs to be said again. You are so appreciated and loved. Even if I may forget to show it most days, I love you.

Thank you so much for being my best friend since day one, literally. You have been through the hardest parts of my life and the best parts. Thank you for making sure I tried every sport out there, but then supporting me when I stuck with dance and cheerleading. Thank you for calling in sick to work because I was actually the one sick and needed you, or just on nights when I wanted to hang out and watch some movies. You obviously didn't need to, but you still did.

Thank you for keeping the hectic lives of all your kids organized. You knew when and where we needed to be even when we didn't. Thank you for always having the right words to make me feel better, but also thanks for saying the truth. Even if it hurt or I disagreed at the time, you always had my best interest at heart and seemed to know what I should do.

Thank you for being there the first time a silly boy broke my heart. You made me realize that there are so many others out there and this will not even matter in a few years. And guess what? You were right.

Thank you for supporting and sharing my love for shopping. Whenever we go to the mall together, it can be dangerous, but it's one of my favorite times to spend with you. Thank you for driving two hours every so often just to visit me at school when you know I won't be making it back home for a while and taking me out to lunch. It's always so tough to say goodbye after visits like that.

Thank you for loving the same TV shows and saving them on the DVR when I've missed an episode. Even though you give me a hard time about it, I know you love watching Kardashians just as much as me.

Finally, believe it or not, but thank you for giving me consequences for my actions. Because of this, I am who I am today and I am happy to have been raised in a household where I didn't always get my way. Thank you for all the chores that taught me responsibility, forgiving my siblings that taught me cooperation, and loving environment that taught me, family, really is the most important thing, and to always hold it close to my heart.

I am now at the point in my life where I'm realizing everything you ever said was right. You have been my role model, therapist, best friend and rock all wrapped into one amazing mother. I will have an amazing example to look to when I have kids of my own and am trying to figure out this whole mom thing. I know it's not always easy, and us as kids may make it harder than we should, but I could not imagine doing this whole life thing without you there telling me where to turn next. For everything above and many more reasons left unsaid, I will forever be thankful for you. I love you.