To my mom, my best friend:

I love you. I know I don’t always show it and sometimes we don’t see eye-to-eye, but I do. You are the most important woman in my life now, and you’ll be the most important woman in my life forever. Ever since I was a little girl, you’ve always been the person I looked up to. I know life can be hard and I don’t always do much to make it easier, but you have sacrificed so much in your life just to raise me, and it means more to me than I’ll ever be able to express in words in this article.

You’ve given up a lot of things so I could be happy and I want you to know that it doesn’t, and never will, go unappreciated. You are the strongest person I know, full of genuine love, forgiveness and motivation, and I am incredibly blessed to have been given the opportunity to have that all of my life. So, Mom, I love you so much, to the ends of the Earth and until the day I’m no longer walking on it.

Thank you. Two little words that hold so much meaning. Thank you for everything that you do for me.

Thank you for being there for me no matter what.

Thank you for always making sure I had everything I ever needed or wanted.

Thank you for teaching me how to be a strong and independent person.

Thank you for listening to me rant, for understanding my problems, and for knowing me so well that all I have to do is make a certain face for a fraction of a second and you know just what I’m thinking.

Thank you for teaching me the art of unconditional kindness, and thank you for teaching me the science of standing up for myself without saying things I’ll regret in the process.

Thank you for coming to all of my events, whether they were sports, recitals, school banquets or any other thing you attended for me.

Thank you for looking out for me. Thank you for your honesty about everything-clothes, hair, makeup, boys, friends… I know I roll my eyes and get annoyed whenever you tell me things I don’t want to hear, but I value your opinion more than I may show.

Thank you for the laughs, the smiles, the inside jokes, the lessons, the advice, and the open arms whenever I need a hug or shoulder to cry on.

Thank you for believing in me. There’s nothing more I want than to make you proud.

You are the epitome of an outstanding mother, and I hope to become half the woman you are. As I get older, my appreciation and admiration towards you will continue to grow exponentially. Each and every day, I realize how much of an impact and inspiration you have been (and always will be) on my life. Not only do you guide me through life, but you provide me with the perfect image of what to look up to.

With everything you have faced in your life, and the strength you have developed, you have shown me that when life is tough, I can be tougher. You also taught me that it is okay to cry. Sometimes in life, being tough is not the only option. It is nice to know that in those breaking moments, I have a mother like you to lean on. It doesn't matter if we are crying together, or only one of us is breaking, it is good to know our bond is strong enough to keep us going.

You have always been here for me and I think it is safe to say you always will be. Even when life gets busy, I will always make room for you. I hope you understand that I will always need my Mom, no matter how old I get. I love you.