Throughout the course of your life you'll make many friends. You'll find that you outgrow certain friendships, others will disintegrate over time, the product of geographical separation or emotional lack of connection. But there's one person who will never cease to grasp onto your hand and hold onto your heart, the ultimate sign of friendship. And that person is the one who has been standing beside you all along, from the very beginning. Your mom. My mom is in no way an exception. So thank you mom, for being my best friend. Here's other things I never thanked you for, but need too, every single day.

1. Thank you for being there, from the moment I was born, until now, every single day.

You never left me, never ceased to be there when I needed you. And whether that meant taking me to the pediatrician when I got strep throat for the 14th time or for coming to my seventh grade awards night, you made me a priority, often times over yourself.

2. Thank you for putting dinner on the table, for loading the dish washer, for folding the laundry, and for holding our house together.

I know this was never the most fun part of your job as a mother, but you did it dutifully, making our house into a beautiful home.

3. Thank you for picking me up when I fall down.

Literally and figuratively.

4. Thank you for reminding me that I am human and human make mistakes.

And for letting me live in a place where mistakes are okay, and where they are meant to be made.

5. Thank you for teaching me to learn from those mistakes.

And for teaching me to grow from them.

6. Thank you for giving me rules to follow.

They kept me safe. But thank you for also letting me break curfew every now and again to hang out with friends.

7. Thank you for supporting all of my decisions.

Even when they weren't the best. And lets be honest, eight year old me's decision to wear Princess Leia Buns to school every day wasn't the best choice.

8. Thank you for making my bad days better.

You taught me that ice cream can make any crappy day better. And that sometimes, it's a two ice cream type of day.

9. Thank you for understanding me, before I even say a word.

I don't even have to speak for you to understand what's going on with me.

10. Thank you for scolding me when I've done something wrong.

And for praising me when I've done something right.

11. Thank you for teaching me to respect others.

And thank you for teaching me to demand respect for myself from others.

12. Thank you for teaching me what real beauty is.

You taught me that some people who are pretty on the outside are not pretty on the inside, and you showed me daily how to be confident in who I was, not just how I looked.

13. Thank you for putting me in everything from soccer to piano to help me find my talents.

And for coming to every single sporting event and concert, and for cheering when I played basketball, even though we both knew I was horrible.

14. Thank you for asking me about my day.

Even though I never asked about yours.

15. Thank you for loving me when I didn't always love myself.

You nurtured my self confidence and fostered a stronger sense of self within me.

16. Thank you for giving me the last chocolate chip cookie.

Even though I know you secretly wanted it.

17. Thank you for helping me find my dreams after I thought I had lost them.

And for teaching me to believe in the power of following my dreams, and the ability I had to achieve them.

18. Thank you for your patience.

Especially during my teenage years. I know that I was hard to put up with then, but you did it with grace.

19. Thank you for being the "cool mom".

My friends tell me how awesome you are, and believe me I know I'm lucky.

20. Thank you for you bear hugs.

Even when I didn't always hug back.

21. Thank you for teaching me that being a parent and being a career woman can go hand in hand.

And for showing me that both are noble pursuits.

22. Thank you for forgiving me when I hurt your feelings.

For every little fight we've ever had, I'm sorry.

23. Thank you for answering my phone calls.

Even when you're at work or when you're out with friends, you answer when I need you.

24. Thank you for making my problems your own.

You took on the burdens of my troubles and dealt with them alongside me.

25. Thank you for making me know I was loved.

There was nothing I was never more sure of.

26. Thank you for showing me what real strength is.

The quote "Here's to strong women. May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them." was written about you.

27. Thank you for showing me the type of parent I want to be someday.