There are many reasons I could list as to how my mom has blown my breath away. However, I want to focus on the main reasons that I owe my life to her.

Recently, for my sorority's Mom's Day, we were asked to write a letter to our mothers. There wasn't any specific prompt we were supposed to follow, allowing free reign to tell our mothers something funny, inspiring, or just simply thanking our mothers for who they are and what they've done.

That being said, I wanted to share what I said to my mom and reinforce what I mean through this article. A little background information might be helpful for this letter. So, before you read the message, it should be known that I might have been a pretty big brat at around the age of 13. My father died in 2007, meaning that she was on her own raising three teenagers. While my two brothers and I were trying to figure out all these changes with our minds and bodies, my mom was trying to figure out how to manage the three pubescent kids alone. Talk about Super Woman! With that, I think you're ready to see what all my mom has really done for me.

Dear Mom,

I gotta say, I’ve come a long way since adolescence. I’m also not gonna lie and say I wasn’t a brat in my teenage years. Maybe I was that way just because I was a teenager trying to figure my life out. Honestly, I couldn’t tell you. But here I am, 20 years old and officially a legal adult. I may not fully act like an adult yet, but I think I’m getting close. I still haven’t decided if I should go by Cayli or Caylin yet, I am really bad at forming clear thoughts aloud, I cannot decide on a career path, and I hate talking to strangers on the telephone; however, I would definitely say I’m close to taking on full adulthood. Just kidding. My life is a mess, but I’ll get there.

Alright, so I might not have it all figured out quite yet. In spite of it all, I have truly grown as a person, and I have you to thank for that.

So, this is me personally apologizing and thanking you for how I’ve turned out over the course of 20 years. First off, I’m sorry for any time I was out of control and/or out of my mind. I’m sorry for any times I have disappointed you. I’m sorry that I am easily frustrated by basic body functions (loud breathing, eating loudly, slurping a drink, etc). I’m sorry for sometimes taking my anger out on you when you were not the cause of my frustrations. I’m sorry if I have ever said anything that personally offended or hurt you.

Now that I have you in a sentimental mindset…thank you so much. Thank you for seeing the great in me. Thank you for telling me I’m smart, for telling me I’m funny, and for telling me I’m beautiful. Thank you for shaping my values. Thank you for allowing me to do anything I want (attempting a sport, dying my hair every color, traveling, attending college, etc). Thank you for playing both parent roles throughout my life. Thank you for pushing me to do and be my best. Thank you for being my mother.

I know I’ll become an even greater person throughout my next 20 years of life; as long as you’re in my life and by my side. Even if you don’t always hear me say it — I love you, and I always will.

Your Daughter,

Caylin Jo Dillon

My mother has given me so many opportunities throughout my life, even with all of the struggles my family has gone through. Once I went away for college, I finally realized that my mom is like any other person with thoughts and feelings. It's kind of sad to think that it took so long for me to realize she can be more than just an adult that watches over me, but someone who can be a friend as well. I owe a lot to my mom. She shaped my values towards equal rights and holding nonjudgmental attitudes. She taught me how to keep an open mind and try new things. She is strong; therefore, she has helped me to gain strength and perseverance. She would do anything for me.

Thank you for everything, Mom.