Dear Mom,

From day one, you have been by my side. Until recently has that changed. Your "little boy" is all grown-up and moved into college. Move-in day wasn't just emotional for you but it was also emotional for me. Leaving home was one of the hardest things I have ever done because leaving home means I had to leave you. For some reason, I knew that I would be perfectly fine. I know this because you will always be a phone call or a three-hour ride away. From holding my hand across the street to unpacking my clothes at school, you have been by my side the entire time.

How will I function without your guidance? Well, you have raised me in your footsteps. Whether that be giving me advice or telling me I should do a certain thing or not. Your number one priority was to make sure my siblings and I were cared for and loved. I learned from you, even when you didn't notice. You might think I never hear what you say but the truth is, I live by your words every day. Everything I learned from you is what I will use on a daily basis because they are the fundamentals of my life; they have become a part of me. I not only inherited your qualities but I inherited your personality. Sometimes I think we're so much alike that we contemplate each other.

What will I miss most? I will miss your hugs the most. Not only are your hugs an embrace of love but they're much more. Your hugs are a symbol of home. Wherever you are is my home. I won't just miss your consumable hugs, but I will also miss our daily talks, laughs, and inseparable personalities. From daily gossip to homework and hugs to laughs, I will miss you most of all.

I know I don't ever seem grateful or say "thank you," but I am beyond grateful to you. Thank you so much for raising me to be the person I am today. I don't know where I would be without your influence and guidance.

Another thing I will miss is you telling me endless stories, rather it is of your adolescence or from mine. As I got older, I learned that your stories were merely life lessons that you used to guide me to be successful. Your job will always be to make me happy. You always know how to make me smile even when I just want to cry. That's why you have one of the most difficult jobs in the world. As a single mother of five children, you have had to raise five different people with individual needs, wants, and personalities. You deserve endless amounts of gratefulness.

Mom, you are my hero and so much more. I love you, unconditionally. I will miss you while I am away, but I will see you at Thanksgiving.

Xoxo,

Your Favorite Child