Dear Mom,

For as long as I can remember, you have been the most important person in my life. You are the reason I am alive and you are the reason that I have made it this far in life. If it wasn’t for you, I would not be the person I am today and for that, I am thankful. I am so blessed to not only call you my mother, but to also call you my best friend.

When I first left for college, I could tell that this transition was going to test a lot of things for me. For months, I had been counting down the days until I finally got to live on my own, and I knew that as the days went by, you were going more and more stressed out. Your baby was no longer going to be under the same roof as you. I can only imagine how terrifying it must be for you to wonder where I am all the time.

The truth is, as much as I love school, this place means nothing without you here. It is refreshing to live on my own, to be able to make my own rules, but there are often times where I wish I could go downstairs and talk to you. There are Monday nights where I wish we were sitting on the couch with the dog watching "The Voice." There are random nights at dinner where I wish you were there to harass me about my day.

I can always imagine what you would say whenever I'm doing something weird with my friends. Whenever I get a good grade or an opportunity, you are the first person I want to call. I miss you more than anything in the world. As much fun as I am having at school, I wish that you were here to experience it with me. But the truth of the matter is that no matter how much I miss you, it's a good thing that I went away for college. This is an essential part of my growing up, and I am so thankful that you let me experience this.

Love you more,

Your daughter.