“I realized when you look at your mother, you are looking at the purest love you will ever know.”
-Mitch Albom

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to realize how the time spent with my family has gotten so minimal. Nowadays I'm out with friends, studying, working, or just hanging out in my room watching the newest episode of whatever show on Netflix. Being in college, I seem to have forgotten about the people who got me to where I am, and I’ve especially forgotten about the one person who pushed me to make me into the person I’ve become, my mother. So mom, this one is for you.

Dear Mommy,

I want to start by telling you how much I love you. I know I don’t always show it and I know I’m not really around these days and honestly I don’t even say it that often, but I do. You are the most important woman in my life, and you always will be. Ever since I was little you have been my hero and someone I’ve always looked up to. I know life is hard for you and I don’t always do much to make it easier, but you have sacrificed so much in your life just to raise me, and it means more to me than I’ll ever be able to express in words in this article. You are the strongest person I know, full of love and motivation, and I am incredibly blessed to have had the opportunity to have that all of my life. So, Mom, I love you so much, to the ends of the Earth and until the day I’m no longer walking on it.

Next comes me telling you, thank you. Two words that means so little when comparing them to every little thing it is that you do for me. Thank you for the countless hugs. Thank you for that time you let me cry on your shoulder when I was fighting with my best friend. Thank you for working ungodly hours just to buy me that watch I really wanted for Christmas. Thank you for the laughter, the smiles, the lessons, and reminding me that I’ll always have somebody who loves me for who I am, flaws and all. You have shown me that it is okay to make mistakes, it’s okay to cry, and it’s okay to be who I am.

Lastly mom, I want to tell you how I am sorry. I’m sorry for all of the times I fought with you, for the times I’ve let you down, and for the times I chose friends and other things over you. Sometimes I tend to lose sight of the things that are most important to me. I never meant to fight with you when you told me I couldn’t go out on that one night because you just wanted to sit and watch a movie together. You truly mean so much to me and I don’t express it enough, and I certainly don’t prove it when I leave you doing the dishes to go out to some party. A lot of the time, especially lately, you deserve someone who pays more attention to the things that you do. I hope that by the time I’m older you can someday forgive me for this.

All in all, I love you to death mom. You are my entire world, whether you know that or not. Thank you for being everything to me, always.