Dear Mom,

I don’t know if you will ever realize how much you have shaped me to be the woman I am. I am a strong woman only because I was raised by such a beautiful and strong woman. I know that I used to throw my tantrums, refuse to cooperate, sneak out in the middle of the night and not listen when I was grounded. I know that I could be frustrating, rolling my eyes and believing that I knew best. I know I could be a pain. But you never left my side. You were there the entire time and loved me through all of those things, even when I was really hard to love. So I would like to say thank you.

Thank you for teaching me what beautiful actually means. Poised, strong, confident and passionate.

Thank you for showing me what it means to follow my dreams and to never give up. Even when life was hard, you endured and became stronger, and I have always wanted to do the same because of you.

Thank you for listening to me whether I was rejoicing or filled with tears. For listening just as intently whether I was talking about my sixth grade crush across the street or my issues in college.

Thank you for pushing me to pursue my dreams. No matter how crazy they get, you stand right next to me and encourage me to try to reach them.

Thank you for being not only my mother but my best friend. And teaching me what a best friend actually is.

Thank you for showing me what a healthy relationship is and for teaching me that I deserve to be respected and pursued by a guy.

And above all else, thank you for loving me. For deeply caring and loving me without hesitation and showing me that love is truly patient and kind.

Love,

Your college daughter