My mom is the bomb.com, no doubt about it.

She was 19 years old when I was born and was dealing with a lot. It’s a mystery to me how she was able to juggle her job, her family, the abusive relationship she was stuck in, all the while keeping her baby safe and happy... But she did it and she deserves plenty of praise for it.

My mom used to tell me that we grew up together.

She told me that we both had a lot to learn and we helped each other along the way. She had a lot to learn about being an adult, about being a mother, etc. We both figured those things out together and it was great. I have a lot to thank her for. It was an experience that allowed me to take more responsibility, to be a better person, to think about others before myself. I watched selflessness constantly and I learned from it. Things weren’t always perfect, honestly, it usually wasn’t perfect, but it was real. I experienced what the real world was like, I experienced all of the flaws, all of the pain, and all of the beauty, too.

I wasn’t sheltered, I wasn’t kept from the truth of the world, I wasn’t kept in the dark.

Believe me, it hurt seeing people I love in pain or dependant or struggling. It was hard to watch, but it is something that was necessary for me to become the person that I am today. I’m more than grateful for my experiences, for all the big struggles and all the small victories. Life is hard and I’m very glad that I was able to learn that early on.

So thank you, Mom, for allowing me to grow up with you. Now that I’m out in the world alone I know a lot more than most, I have less learning to do and it feels great.