Dear Mom,
After being on my own for some time, there are a lot of things I could thank you for this Mother's Day. I could thank you for endlessly supporting me. From helping me practice for the middle school drama tryouts, to driving me to music lessons all throughout high school, to calming me down over the phone whenever I panic about my current major in college, you have been my number one support system.
I could thank you for listening to me all these years. When I was very young, I would tell you stories I made up in my head as I went along, and you would diligently listen as you folded laundry or washed the dishes. When I had my first heartbreak, you would stay up very late with me when I couldn't sleep, and you would listen to me repeat the same things over and over again without growing frustrated. When I tell you the dreams I have for my future, you never belittle me. You are always eager to lend an ear and offer the wisest advice.
I could thank you for being my biggest fan all these years. You attended every soccer game, piano recital, music concert and school play I have ever participated in. You are the first person to tell me I look beautiful, and you read every poem, article, essay and note I write like it's a work of literature. I can always count on you to cheer me on, even if you don't completely understand the activities I'm participating in and even if you are miles away from me.
I could even thank you for all the times you have made me angry. When I was 16 years old, you wouldn't give me the freedom I believed I deserved. At the time, I was angry, but now, I couldn't thank you enough. You saved me from making many mistakes during my self-conscious, teen angst phase. You guided me to learn how to love myself and appreciate who I was.
I could thank you for all of these things, or for simply being the best mother. But instead, I want to thank you for something else.
Thank you so much for being not only being my mother, but also for being my best friend. Even at a very young age, you were more than just my mom; you were a companion. I don't know who else I would want to get lunch with, or who I would want to spend snow days binge-watching TV shows with. My hair would never be done if you weren't kind enough to braid it, and I'm grateful that you let me practice doing makeup on you, even when I mess it up more times than not. From sending screenshots of our daily horoscopes to each other, to spending hours in Target buying things we don't technically need but seriously want, you are my right-hand lady.
Thank you for letting me vent to you like a friend. I tell you things I would struggle to admit to anyone else. You see me weaknesses and my flaws; you hear my terrible thoughts, and you still love me as if I were perfect. The older I get the more grateful I am that you have been both my mother and my friend since I was young. The combination of the respect you have instilled in me and the ease of our relationship has caused a dynamic between us that I wouldn't trade for the world.
Happy Mother's Day, Mom. Thank you for everything.
