My mom happens to be my best friend. Even though she does everything for me, I feel that a simple “Thanks, Mom” is never enough. So instead of just thanking my mom, this letter explains why I’m so thankful in the first place.

Mom,

I can probably fill a hundred books about why I’m so thankful for you, or why I love you so much, or how I aspire to be a strong woman like you some day. It’s difficult to begin such a letter because of the immense amount of gratitude I owe you. However, I will start with the dreaded middle school years. I find that the beginning to my many thanks for you begun within these three long years.

Thank you for not hesitating and telling me that my outfit choice was rather inappropriate. I’m still not sure why I thought tank tops and denim skirts were a good idea in the dead of winter. Thank you for not completely judging my attempt to express myself through an overuse of black eyeliner. I don’t really know what I was trying to prove, but hey, can’t go back and change anything now! Thank you for forcing me to play sports, and being on the sidelines for every game. Even though I may have hated you for making me go to tryouts that day, in the end, I appreciated it. Thank you for pushing me academically. At the time, I did not understand why you were taking my middle school grades so seriously, but soon enough I realized you wanted me to be the best student I could be. Through that, I continued to challenge myself as a student during the following years and still do to this day.

As for high school, the list of appreciation continues. Thank you for always being welcoming to my friends, and letting me know who my real friends were. Regardless of me disagreeing with your opinion on who some of my closest friends were, by the end of high school, all of those fake friends you talked about were no longer in my life. And all of the real friends you said would stick around were still standing by my side. Thank you for listening to me complain for hours on end about the things that annoy me. And thanks for always giving the most straightforward advice a girl could ask for. Thank you for waiting up for me when I would get home from parties or from a friend's house so we could talk about how my night went.

When college approached and I became nervous about time away from home, you encouraged me to take a step outside of my comfort zone. Thank you for supporting all of my decisions and always reminding me of how proud you are of my accomplishments. Thank you for talking to me on the phone daily when I’m away at school. Whether it's talking about what I had for lunch, or how many naps I've taken in a given day, you've listened to me ramble on and on. So thank you for that.

Thank you for being the most selfless and kindhearted person I know. The type of happiness you spread is something I hope to do someday as well. The type of positivity you contain is contagious, and I’m thankful for having someone to always show me why the glass is half full instead of empty. The type of love you give is infinite, and I aspire to become as patient and loving as you as I grow older. Thank you for simply being the most incredible person I know.

Love,