Dear Mom,

Thank you for playing both parts. Thank you for being stern like a father should be but gentle like the mother you always have been. You never let me think worse of myself but you showed me how to be better. You were my strongest supporter for sports but also taught me how to do my hair. Thank you for showing up to my Father’s Day dinners despite the weird looks from others. Thank you for letting me treat Father’s Day like a second Mother’s Day for you. Thank you for staying strong when you felt like you couldn’t do it alone. Thank you for wearing the pants, even when you were wearing a dress. Thank you for helping me move into college even though some things may have been a little heavy…

But most importantly, thank you for the late night girl time and painting our nails. Thank you for the sporadic crying sessions and words of encouragement. Thank you for giving me advice on boys from your past experiences. Thank you for believing in me enough from you and my absent father. Thank you for your neverending support and affection that made me realize I’m not missing out so much. Thank you for raising me to be an amazing woman like you and hopefully just as amazing of a mother someday. Thank you for being my mom and also my best friend. You have sacrificed everything for me—money, time and even yourself. You’ve managed to do it all from being a full-time mother and a father, a healer and a protector, and for that I am forever grateful.

Love,