I can't thank you enough.
For anyone who grew up living paycheck to paycheck, you will know how incredible of a mother that requires. After I was born, while my dad worked full time, my mom decided to make a sacrifice for me and quit her job. She chose to become a stay-at-home mom, even though we could have used the extra money. My mom chose to do this even though it would make her life harder because she knew it would make me a better person.
My mom homeschooled me and my siblings, and this was no easy task. She spent hours of her day teaching me, and I was a beyond difficult student! I was that child who hid their homework under their bed, broke pencils, and cried over worksheets. But my mom was patient and kind, and she knew how to get me excited about learning.
On top of that, she taught me how to act like a lady; to be polite, respectful, and honest. She also taught me not to be friends with people who tore me down, and showed me how to stand up for myself the right way. My mom taught me to always stand up for my family, and to love above all else. She taught me that it's okay to show your emotions and it's okay to be upset. She dealt with my attitudes and my stubbornness. She made me clean and cook with her, making it into a family activity instead of a chore.
This instilled in me a good work ethic and taught me how to cook killer dishes. Also, despite growing up in a deeply Christian household, religion was never forced down my throat. My mom always allowed, even encouraged, me to question things. She taught me how to think on my own and make my own decisions.
I know this may seem like everyday stuff to some people, but it's not. My stay-at-home mom didn't just sit back and relax, and she didn't try to be my "best friend." Instead, she was my mother. She disciplined me and didn't care if I was angry at her or didn't agree with her. She knew best, and she wasn't afraid to have her children mad at her because they didn't understand. My mom knew, in the long run, it was for the better--and she couldn't have been more right.
She made me into who I am today; which is someone who doesn't need to post about how I'm #adulting because it is not some new and crazy thing to me. It's just life. When I went away to college, I didn't have to call her every day to ask for help because she had already given me all the tools I needed to succeed. I didn't know it then, but once I was on my own I realized it. Because of her, I knew how to cook for myself, how to shop for groceries, how to clean, how to do laundry, how to get out stains, how to check the oil in my car and change a flat, how to study well, how to be a good friend. She sacrificed her time and energy so I could become a capable and respectable young woman, and I am forever grateful.
Even now, I don't show her enough appreciation for all the sacrifices she has made for me. I remember some nights my mom would go to bed without eating dinner because she wanted to make sure everyone else was fully fed, and she once returned her hair curlers so she could buy food for the week. By doing this, she showed me that I should always give what I have to others, even if I don't have enough for myself.
My mom is a one-in-a-million kind of woman, and she deserves all the best in the world.
