Dear Mom,

Senior year is going to be one of the biggest and most stressful years of my life. It’s like senior year of high school all over again. Except this time, I have to start thinking about what I want to be when I grow up. Whether I decide to start my career or pursue graduate school, I want to thank you for always supporting my decisions.

Thank you for getting me through my freshman year. It was a year of major adjustment and sometimes I wasn’t sure I was going to make it through. Thank you for reminding me that college is a period of major growth. I didn’t come home from college the same girl I was when I left. I want to thank you for making me realize that change can be a good thing. Growing up is scary. However, knowing that you made it through okay keeps me sane.

Thank you for being there each move-in day and move-out day. Packing up everything I need for the school year is never easy. It always feels like I’m missing something or taking too much. Thank you for helping me with the stress of finding where my new dorm room is or trying to set up my bedding. At times, it may not look like I appreciate the little things you did on move-in day, but each year you helped make everything easier.

Thank you for being there every long weekend I came home. Going away to school was probably one of the best decisions I made as a college freshman. Thank you for reminding me that a home cooked meal was only a short drive away. You helped me get through some of the toughest points of the semester. Sometimes, coming home and being with family was exactly what I needed to recharge and keep going.

Thank you for being my academic advisor, my cheerleader, and my coach. Creating the perfect schedule is never easy. Thank you for always being on the phone with me while I talked out my list of classes. During the peak of semester stress, you were there to make sure I kept going. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and feel like I had a never-ending to-do list. Thank you for checking-in and asking if I’ve crossed anything off of my list yet.

Thank you for answering every stressful phone call. Whether it was a class being cancelled or not knowing what to make for dinner, you always knew the right thing to say. It’s easy to fall into an abyss of panic and feel like each push forward is really a step back. However, you calmly reminded me that everything would work out in the end.

It’s crazy to think I’m already thinking about graduation. It seems like just yesterday you and dad helped me with my first move-in day. So this is a letter to say thank you for everything. Whether big or small, you were there through it all. Now it’s my turn to take my new confidence and independence and tackle the beginning of the next chapter of my life.