Ever since I was little, my mom has been my best friend. Like most moms, she doesn’t get half the credit she deserves. I’ve always loved my mom to pieces. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to appreciate just how much she's done for me. Here are just a few of a million things I need to thank her for.
Thank you for all of our girl days. Whether we’re out shopping, giving each other makeovers or watching (shameful) reality TV shows, I always have so much fun spending time with you. You’re without a doubt my favorite person to hang out with. I will gladly make plans with you before anyone else!
Thank you for all of your words of wisdom—even if I didn’t follow your advice at the time. I know now that you were just about always right. You’ve instilled so many positive values in me and I know that I wouldn’t be the person I am today without your guidance. You’ve taught me the importance of hard work, family, love and service to others. You’ve been such an incredible role model my whole life and I can only hope that I’ll grow up to be half the person that you are.
Thank you for all of the sacrifices you’ve made for me over the years. From staying up late with me when I couldn’t sleep to driving me to school at 6 a.m. to switching dinners because I ordered something exotic at a burger place—you’ve always put me first. And with all of my quirks, I’m sure it hasn’t been easy.
Thank you for teaching me about what love is. I’ve learned from you when to let go of love, when to hold on to it, and to never say anything that I don’t mean. You and Dad are the best couple in the world and have set an amazing example for me to follow. I hope that in 30 years, my husband and I will still be laughing together and planning out cute dates just like you two!
Thank you for pushing me to be my best but letting me know when to give myself a break. You’ve shown through example that I can do anything I want if I’m willing to put in hard work. I’ve learned to never do anything half-heartedly. But you’ve also let me know that it’s OK to make mistakes. You’re the strongest person I know and you’ve taught me that no matter what the outcome, I have to keep moving forward.
Thank you for always being honest with me. Not many other people I know would tell me that the Sephora ribbon in my hair makes me look like Boy George (still don’t know who that is). Even though I don’t always agree, I will admit that you’ve saved me from wearing some pretty awful outfits!
Thank you for making my friends part of the family—they all love hanging out with you too! And I love that they can refer to you as “mom” without it being weird. Sorry about all the times we had weeknight sleepovers and kept you up because we were being obnoxiously loud in the living room.
Thank you for doing the things I took for granted when I was younger. No matter how exhausted you were, you always cooked dinner, did my laundry and cleaned up after all of the messes I made—which could probably be a full-time job! And you did all those things without a complaint because you love taking care of people.
Mom, I can never thank you enough for everything, but I hope you always remember how much you mean to me. You’re not just my mom—you’re my best friend, my role model, my fashion consultant and my biggest supporter. I love you so much and I’m truly blessed to be your daughter.
Love,
Steph
