Hey there Mom.

I know it hasn't been a while since we have talked, but I still want to write you something that will put a smile on your face.

I would like to first start this off by saying thank you. Thank you for raising me, being there through all the ups and downs, and doing everything in your power to help me receive the opportunities that I needed to succeed in life. Thank you for making sure I always had my needs met, and for staying strong throughout trials. Thank you for always supporting me in whatever I want to do. Thank you for being happy with the life I have made for myself, and for loving me through the times that you weren't. Out of every person in the world, I don't think there has ever been someone who has loved me as much as you. So, thank you for that.

You text me about fifteen times a day with funny stories and reminders that you miss me. I'm sorry that I don't always respond (school is busy sometimes), but when I do read them, they always put a smile on my face. You are really good at making people feel loved. You care for people and show them their worth over and over again (I, being one of the many), and I think that is a really amazing thing to be able to do.

I think that you are a woman to be admired. You have been a single mother with four kids (teenagers now) and have been working multiple jobs for the past ten years. Even though your days are busy and crammed with carpools, tutoring, and little league games, you make sure that none of your children are neglected. You make sure that everyone gets where they need to be, and that they have their baseball bat, choir shoes and instruments even when money is tight. You don't let circumstances affect what we are able to do. You make it work, whether it is by volunteering, fundraising or selling things, you make it work. Thanks.

You are so strong and you have been your whole life. You have shown me that when things get hard in life, it is okay to be sad, but you can't let them hold power over you. You have shown me how to rise over circumstances and come out the other end with a smile. You have shown me how to find the good in things even when everything feels like it is going wrong.

I have been in college now for the past year and a half, and I know that you miss me (thanks again for the text reminders). I just want you to know that even though my school is only 30 minutes away, I miss you too and I love you a lot. Thanks again for everything.

Love,

Your (favorite) Daughter