Dear grandma,

You may have noticed "mom" imprinted balloons and cakes have filled the stores. Friends all around have been asking, "What did you get your mom this year?" while dads have been searching around town for the prettiest flowers and tastiest chocolates. Mother's Day is a wonderful, love-filled time of year, isn't it? It brings family and friends together to appreciate the special mothers in their lives.

But, I want to remind you -- you are a special mother too. More importantly, you are a special mother and grandmother.

As I sit at the kitchen table typing away, you're standing across the room slicing mangos for me. I never said I wanted mangos, but you know they are my favorite fruit without saying. Though I have only been home from college for a couple of days, you have wasted no time ensuring my life is replenished with my favorite things.

That's what makes you so incredible. While you may not be as much a part of my day to day life as my mom is, you pay tremendous attention to me and never cease to put my happiness first. You are our family's rock and your unwavering love as both a mother and grandmother deserve greater recognition on Mother's Day.

So on this Mother's Day, I want to say a huge thank you.

Thank you for always forcing me to wear a coat when it's cold out, even if I don't want to. It certainly saves you from having to make your magic home-remedy soup when I'm sick!

Thank you for bragging about my swim meets and dance shows to this day even though it's been years since I've danced and I finished my swim career last winter. No one can compete for your position as my biggest fan!

Thank you for giving me encouragement in college, both during finals and on an average day. You know times can get challenging and you never fail to make sure I'm smiling.

Thank you for preparing your delicious meals whether I'm home for a long break or for a weekend. It's like you can read my mind and know I crave nothing more than your home-cooking after stuffing my face with the same old dining hall food for months.

Above all, thank you for your presence. Not everyone is lucky enough to grow up living with their grandmother.

From my diaper days to now, you have been there through it all. Some of my earliest childhood memories are of you teaching me how to walk, cradling me to bed, singing with me, dancing with me, and laughing with me.

I still remember sobbing in your arms the summer before transitioning from fifth grade to sixth grade. I was so worried I wouldn't see my elementary school friends anymore. Though you knew this was incredibly foolish, considering we all lived in the same neighborhood, you nonetheless comforted my naive ten-year-old thoughts.

Grandma, as I am slowly becoming a young adult, I would like to say I will not have foolish thoughts anymore, but we both know that's not true. While they may not be as dramatic as crying over the transition from elementary school to middle school, I know much change is to come. At times, I may be that rising sixth grader who needs your support, while at other times, I may be that toddler that just needs you to laugh with me and enjoy the bliss of life.

Despite the unpredictability that is to come, I know I can always count on you. For this, I could never thank you enough. Happy Mother's Day.

Love,

Your granddaughter