Dear Mom,
First, thank you. Thank you for making me strong, caring and independent. You made me tough and able to see the world as a scary place-- but a scary place I could conquer. Thank you for pushing me to be the best I could be, not only in sports, but in life. You always tell me to suck it up and to keep pushing. Thank you for believing in me. No matter what I was doing or where I was going, you believed I could do anything I set my mind to.
I know that all my life I’ve been a pain in the butt, but you loved me more and more each day. You never gave up on me or got mad at me (if I were in your shoes I would have freaked out). I know that you haven’t always had all the things you wanted in life, but you never let me know that you were unhappy. You always made sure I had what I wanted and never even thought about yourself.
Thanks for always being my #1 fan. Even though you didn’t really like the sports or the things I was into, you never let that get in the way of being my biggest fan. Whether it was at a basketball game or a JROTC Drill Meet, you always cheered me on and made me feel like I was the best person out there.
Thank you for being “The Cool Mom.” Even though you had rules, you were always the cool mom, and my friends were jealous that their parents weren’t as cool as you. You always let me do whatever I wanted, within reason, and that let me get the taste of freedom. You never grounded me, only because I never did anything wrong, and you never yelled. Everyone in high school wished they had a mom like mine-- one that cared, but wasn’t overbearing.
Thank you for keeping me grounded. I know I’m a little enthusiastic about things sometimes, but you keep me from getting too worked up and from making a fool of myself in public. You always tell me to "cool it" and to calm down.
Thank you for being my best friend. People are always telling you about how your daughter is your best friend, but you don’t seem to mind at all. The reason we are best friends is because we listen to each other's stories about their day and actually care how it went. We spend so much time together and enjoy the time we have together. We have the same sense of humor and like the same things. We enjoy the same foods and same TV shows, and I wouldn’t change a single thing.
Thank you for being my role model. Thank you for showing me how to be a good person and how to cook and clean. Thank you for showing me how to be an adult and be a strong woman. When I was a kid, I always wanted to grow up to be just like you. I wanted to be you, but you taught me that we all have to be ourselves-- to be true to ourselves and to not let anyone judge us for who we are.
Thank you for being my mom. Thank you for teaching me to be who I am without any regrets, and for being my rock. Thank you for everything you’ve had to give up for me and my sisters.
Thank you Mom, I love you!
Love always,
Your college daughter,
Justice
