In high school – you kind of took her for granted; even if, at the time, you never realized you did. Everything was easy because she was right there. You scrambled to go to college so you could get away from home, your high school, your town, your ‘little kid’ life. But in all that work to be far away and out on your own, your mom was still right there. Even now that you’re all grown up and away at college, she’s still making you her number one priority. And for this reason, and many others, we really do appreciate our moms more, after we’re no longer ‘little kids.’

1. She always answers your phone calls, even at 1 o'clock in the morning.

2. When you come home for a break (summer, holidays, even a weekend), she acts like she hasn’t seen you in years.

3. She's always on your side.

"Well, sweetie, maybe that professor just doesn't know how smart you are yet."

4. If you start crying, you know Mama Bear could get there in thirty minutes flat. (Even if you live ten hours away.)

5. When you visit, she makes you a smorgasbord of all your favorite foods.

And makes you eat them until you feel like you belong on My 600 lb. Life

6. And after every visit, she sends you back to school with homemade leftovers.

7. When it's 11:30 and you have an assignment due at midnight, she always offers to help even if she has absolutely no idea how to do the subject matter.

8. If you have other siblings, when you come home or your absence is mentioned, it’s like you’re the only child she has.

But you can assure them that she’ll be the same way with them when they go to college.

9. She posts those lovey-dovey e-cards on your Facebook wall for all your new, hip college friends to see.

But you know you secretly adore it.

10. When you and your friends or roommates get in a fight, you immediately tell her, and she’s ready to drop them altogether.

Because Justin Bieber did get one thing right about Momma's.

11. She's always proud of you no matter what.

12. Even when you’re drowning in deadlines and stress, she still believes you can conquer the world.

To all the moms out there, with babies from preschool to grad school, we say: thank you.