Dear Mom,

First off, I want to say that I’m sorry. I’m sorry for every stupid fight we had about doing the dishes or cleaning my room. I’m sorry for always being at a friend’s house and never spending time with you, and for not talking to you for 3 months during senior year because “I hated you for no reason.” I’m sorry for not realizing how amazing you are and how much you do for me until I moved out and lived on my own. I’m sorry for not appreciating the roof over my head, the food on my plate, and the clothes on my body that you provided for me. For not realizing that everything you did for us and every decision you made was to make our lives the best they could be. I’m sorry for not recognizing how hard you work every day, and for not appreciating the 9-, sometimes 10-hour work days you put in, just to come home and clean up the kitchen and help us with our homework. I’m sorry for not being a better child, a child worthy of a mother as amazing as you.

Now that I’m older, I’ve come to this point of clarity. Like everything you ever said to discipline us, all of your strict rules was only out of good intentions. I never really sat and thought about how hard you work for us. I’ve been selfish all these years, always wishing I had more, like nothing you gave me was enough. But now I see that you gave me more than enough. You provided me with everything I could ever need and more.

I want to tell you that you are truly amazing, Mom. You are the most amazing and powerful woman I’ve ever met and I look up to you every single day. You are my hero and my inspiration. If I could grow up to be even half the woman you are, well, that would be hell of an accomplishment. Not many people can say that they have gone to college for 12+ years and still aspire to learn more. I admire that about you. You have this never-ending interest to learn more and learn all that you possibly can in your lifetime. And NO one could have raised 6 children by themselves, continued to work every day, provided a beautiful home to live in and made a family as close as were are, better than you. Only a person with integrity, strength, intelligence, will, and most of all, love, could do that.

So sorry for getting all sappy and emotional, but you deserve to hear all these wonderful things. And you also deserve to hear, thank you. Thank you for being my guardian angel. Thank you for taking caring of me when I couldn’t take care of myself. Thank you for making me realize how important family really is. Thank you for being you, and being the best mom you could be, despite everything that you’ve had to go through in your life. And thank you for being a light in my life, even when all I can see is darkness. I love you more than you could ever imagine, Mom. Never forget that.

Love your biggest fan and number 1 daughter,