Dear mom,

How do I write a letter to someone that I owe my 22 years of life to? How do I put into words how much you mean to me—to all of us? It is certainly not easy. You’ve done a lot for all of us; made a lot of sacrifices. And I know we haven’t always seemed very appreciative of them, but we are. We appreciate you more than you know. Being the oldest of your five children, I above all else, know what sacrifices you have made, and as I grow older—gaining more “adult responsibilities” along the way— I appreciate you more and more. I appreciate everything you have ever done for us, and continue to do for us.

You always managed to put a roof over our heads even when it wasn’t easy. We never went hungry because you would always make sure our bellies were full—even if we did not like the food you fed us! You made sure we got everything we needed and more on every birthday and holiday, even if you couldn’t necessarily afford it. You just wanted to make sure we were happy; wanted to see how our eyes lit up, and our smiles grew when we opened the new video game we really wanted, or that Lego set we probably only played with once or twice.

You were there for every skinned knee and tear-stained face with a bandage and a kiss—the only assurance we needed that everything would be okay. You were there for every heartache, telling us that there are better things to look forward to in life. You never fail to be there for every accomplishment, cheering us on, congratulating us, and telling us how proud you are, and every failure—continuing to be our biggest fan because we are still winners in your eyes. You're that mother that throws her arm out when she has to slam on the breaks—as if our seatbelt isn’t sufficient enough, and that mother who calls every time she hears a siren to make sure we weren’t the ones involved. While we laugh at you for these silly things, please know that we do appreciate them. You’re a worry-wart, but we know you do it out of love.

Love. Out of everything, this is the one thing that you always supplied. Copious amounts of love. I never, ever, felt unwanted or unloved by you. Even when I thought you were being mean, even when I told you I "hated you” because I wasn’t getting my way and being a brat (sorry), I knew you loved me. I know you will always love me. You were not the perfect mother, because there really is no such thing, and we never expect you to be. But the best thing that a mother can do is love her child(ren), and that is exactly what you have done—loved us with every ounce of your being, no matter what. That makes you pretty exceptional in my eyes.

Even though we may not have always seen eye to eye, I know that you have always been—and will continue to be—there for me. As I grow older, graduate college, buy my first home, and marry the love of my life, I know you’ll be there every step of the way. And as I grow older, it does not mean that I no longer need you. In fact, it just means that sometimes I need you more; maybe not for the things that a child needs you for, but for things that only a mother can provide.

There aren’t enough words in the dictionary to describe you or my appreciation for you, but here are a few that will have to suffice: beautiful, selfless, loving, compassionate, strong, funny, hard-working—the list really could go on.

So thank you mom; thank you for being the best mother a girl, or any child, could possibly hope for. Thank you for shaping me into the person I am today. Thank you for being you.

I love you.