Dear Mom,

Raising children is no easy task, but raising them alone is another feat all in itself. When a child has two parents, the responsibilities that come along with them are split up. Each parent does half of the work. When responsibilities that are usually split in half are combined and given to just one person, they are almost impossible. Single parents have to do extra work. They have double the amount of responsibility of a typical parent.

Mom, you had almost quadruple the amount of work because you had to raise two children at the same time. You made so many sacrifices, so we would have happy, healthy lives. I have so much gratitude for you, along with three main reasons to thank you.

1. Thank you for working all of those extra hours.

Because you were the only one with an income, you had to work all of the time. I’m sure you remember all of the long hours you had to work to support the two of us. I barely saw you those weeks. You went to work before the sun rose and came back right as the sun set, having just enough time to refuel and get a shower before bed. I know for a fact that no sane person with two small children would ever want to work those hours. You had to do it. You wanted to make sure we never went without the necessities. You didn’t want us to worry about buying our clothes or paying for school lunches. You did the worrying for us. I know those hours might have killed you. Believe me, they killed me, too, but I understand the purpose now, and I can’t thank you enough.

2. Thank you for never making me feel like I was missing something.

One of the biggest worries single parents have is that their children will feel different than all of the rest of the kids they meet in school. There is a fear that missing a father figure is a stigma that will make their child different. Because of you, I never felt that stigma. I never felt like an outcast. You let my grandpa take me to the “Donuts with Dad” breakfasts at school, and you cheered loud enough for two people at all of my band concerts and soccer games. You never made me feel bad for not having a dad because you provided for me just as much ‒ if not more ‒ than two parents would.

3. Thank you for always being there for me.

I’m not sure how you did it. I still believe you have magic or superpowers that allow you to be multiple places at once. How else could you be working, cleaning, cooking and comforting me at the same time? For most children, when one parent is busy, they have a second one to soothe their worries. I didn’t have that luxury. Although there were many other family members in my life I could have turned to, I still only had one parent. Despite that, I still always felt like you were there for me. You would put down whatever you were doing and talk to me if I needed it.

I didn’t realize how much work you truly had to do until recently, so I apologize. I apologize for making you feel bad about not always being able buy me the newest pair of boots or the coolest jacket. I apologize for blaming you for all of the problems we may have faced. I apologize for anything I did that made your job as a single parent even harder.

You raised me right, Mom. I know it wasn’t easy. You may have done double the work, but you also had double the love for me.

The sacrifices you made for me do not go unnoticed. I hope I make you proud.

Sincerely,

Your daughter