Mom,

There are many things that I know now that I didn't know or realize when I was younger. All the hours that you spent at the field watching me play sports and all the days you spent at my school volunteering. All those nights you stayed up baking cookies for holiday parties in elementary school, and staying up late with us when we couldn't sleep. Thank you, for letting me sleep in your bed when I had a nightmare and for pouring me a glass of milk when I couldn't sleep. Thank you, for having rules and curfews.Thank you, for not letting me do whatever I wanted. Even though I hated it at the time. Thank you, for understanding my thought process even though you knew better. Thank you, for crying with me when I went through my first heartbreak. Thank you, for encouraging and pushing me to be the best version of me I can be. And thank you for never giving up on me when I'm difficult.

Because of you, I have learned many important life lessons. I was taught by the best on how to cope with my problems. I didn't want to admit it at the time, but you knew which friends were going to let me down. You knew which relationships weren't going to work out and you knew exactly which friends were going to get me into trouble eventually. Even though you knew all of this you never stopped me from doing what I had my mind set on. You watched my lose and gain friends. You watched my friends hurt me and you watched everything you knew was going to happen unfold before your eyes.

I understand now that you did this because I needed to learn my own set of morals. I needed to experience the feeling of heartbreak, I needed to experience the loss of a close friend and the betrayal of another. These important events in life gave me the experience to know what to look for in relationships and what type of people to stay away from.

I know that you spent hours at a time making cookies and volunteering for school events and sitting outside in the cold spring rain watching me play sports. Sometimes I questioned why you didn't have a job. I didn't understand why you stayed home 24 hours of the day and took care of my siblings and I.

I understand now that you did these things because you loved being a mother. You cared for my siblings and I and wanted to spend as much time with us as you could. You did things with us and were there throughout every crucial moment of my life. You were there when I spoke my first word, when I was sent away to kindergarten, when I struggled moving to a new school, when I had my first boyfriend, when I hit my first home run, and when I left for college.

Thank you for making curfews a thing even though I absolutely despised you for it. All of my friends could stay out until whatever time they chose and participated in illegal activities such as drinking and participating in reckless behavior. You made me tell you where I was going, who I was going to be with and what time I would be home on all occasions.

I know know that you did this to keep us out of trouble. To be completely honest nothing good happens on a weekend after 11pm anyways. Thank you for caring about my well-being and making sure I stayed on track and didn't get into trouble. Sure I wasn't the "cool" kid by any means but I found dignity in telling my friends that I needed to go home and I am forever thankful for my mother keeping me in line.

Finally I want to thank you for showing me what an all around good person looks like. You are the most selfless person I have ever met. You are never afraid to say something to a complete stranger and you will always do anything you can to help others. You give so much of yourself away for others and I just want to thank you for the happiness and love that you bring into my life every day.