Dear Mom,

You never expected to be a single mother. When you decided to have three children, you always expected our dad to be there with you every step of the way. Obviously, that changed drastically when he died. You were left with a 10-year-old, an 8-year-old, and a 5-year-old. It was a complete shock to all of us, but I can’t even begin to imagine how it impacted you. You did great under the terrible circumstances.

You are such an inspiration to me.

As much as I tease you for going to college and taking away my first-generation college student status, I am so proud of you. I was proud of you the minute you decided to go to community college, and I’m still proud of you for going on to get a Bachelor’s degree. You’re going to do such great things in your new field, whether you work for a small company or something huge like the NSA. Don’t worry about a thing. You’re going to be perfect in whatever you do.

You’re one of my best friends.

Of course, we had a rocky patch when I was a stubborn teenager, but that hasn’t changed anything overall. I call you when I need to complain about my life here at school, and you call me to complain about yours. We have a good thing here. I love coming home and going to work with you, even though waking up so early in the morning isn’t fun. I like driving with you for a half an hour back and forth every day. We can talk about anything. I can tell you anything. I don’t have any secrets from you.

You support me in everything I do.

You supported me when I decided to go away to college instead of stay home and go to the local university like I always planned. You supported me when I decided to join Greek Life, even though I’m not a typical “sorority girl.” You’ve helped me go through (and pay) for these things, without complaining (too much). You talked me through the process of switching my major, even though I’m sure it felt like I was saying the same thing again and again. I was scared to commit to a new career path.

You’re the best mom I could have.

Logan, Sully, and I are so lucky to have you. Our family has had a lot of rocky patches, but we’ve made it through. That’s all because of you. You have been our rock. You’ve spoiled us as much as you possibly can. I know there’s always other things you’ve wanted to do for us, but believe me when I say that I am grateful for everything you have done.

Your favorite (and only) daughter,

Rayna Moon