Dear Mom,

Although a million words could never say enough, I wanted to write this letter to you because you have shaped me to be the person I am today and without you, I would be absolutely lost. You have supported me and loved me through everything I have ever been through. You’ve seen me at my worst, helped me achieve my best and cheered by my side every second along the way.

First I want to begin by telling you how in awe I am of you. To me, you are a living super hero. I honestly cannot fathom how you’ve poured so much love into me and my siblings. You have taught us everything we need to know about growing up, whether it be learning how to walk or giving us advice on how to deal with a breakup. I am in awe of your boundless love for me. I am in awe of the way you forgive me even when I know I’ve messed up so badly. I am in awe of the way you gave up so much of your time to drop me off at friends’ houses, sporting events and every school function I can think of before I could drive. I am absolutely in awe of the many talents that you possess and how you use them to make the world around you a brighter place. I am in awe of your strength and your ability to overcome obstacles that I cannot even imagine having to face. Above all, I am completely in awe of your ability to let go. Despite your all of your love, time and commitment to me and my siblings, you’ve made the toughest decision anyone could ever make, to let go -- to let us make our own mistakes and to let us experience the world for ourselves in a way that you knew may be painful, broken or messed up.

Next I need to tell you that I’m sorry. I’m sorry for all the times I’ve argued or talked back to you. I’m sorry for all the times I have disappointed you or let you down. I’m sorry for the nights that you had to stay up late because my phone was dead and you worried about me. I’m sorry for not ever making my bed and leaving my shoes all over the house. I’m sorry that there are things about me that you would have changed if you had a chance to raise me again. I’m sorry that you got stuck with a crazy person like me to be your daughter. But above all of these apologies, my deepest regret is that I did not spend as much time with you as I possibly could while growing up.

Lastly, I want to thank you. This paragraph could be 10 pages long and it still would not be able to encompass my gratitude for you. Thank you for your love, care and dedication to me. Thank you for pushing me out of my comfort-zone in order to grow as a person. Thank you encouraging my creativity and my crazy ideas. Thank you for also being a voice of reason when my ideas are a little too far-fetched. Thank you for allowing me to pursue my passions in whatever they may be. Thank you for teaching me to strive to be the best version of myself. Thank you for the positivity you bring into my life and your ability to see the good in every situation. Thank you for teaching me one of the most important lessons of life being a gift. Thank you for knowing how to have the "Magic-Mom" solution to every problem that comes about. Thank you for the laughter you bring into my life and the joy you bring to those around you. And last but not least, thank you for being my mom because without you in my life, I would not know how to ride a bike or to figure out how to navigate without my iPhone. Without you, I would not know how to love others in the way you have shown me. Without you, I would not be half the person I am today, and someday I can only hope to be half the person that you are.

With all my love,

Georgie