To My Second Mom:

First and foremost, I'd like to say thank you. Thank you for being there for me to celebrate my accomplishments and to help me get through some tough times.

I rarely show emotion, but you've seen me cry when I thought I had hit rock bottom. You have also been there to see me during some of my proudest moments. You have pushed me to become a better person and I actually listen (sometimes) when you give me advice.

Even though you are substantially older than me, you will always be one of my best friends. I couldn't have imagined spending my senior year of high school not staying in your classroom until 11 p.m. most nights. Even when I didn't need to stay after school, I still found a reason to just because I didn't want to go home.

You are one of the first people to actually really care about me. When I was proud of an accomplishment, you were just as proud of me. When I was down, you would listen and comfort me, until my wallowing got annoying and then you would tell me that life isn't fair and I had to move on.

I am absolutely convinced that without you, I would not be where I am today. You pushed me out of my comfort zone which I was so happily living in.

From spending a week with you in San Antonio, Anaheim and Nashville and countless other places in Missouri for FBLA, you genuinely became my best friend. Sure, I probably didn't need to stay in your classroom while I completed a seventh practice accounting test, but there is no other place I would have rather completed it. From making fun of your pink and leopard print pajamas (I still remember) to crying to you each time I thought my life was over to fighting with your children like my own siblings, I grew to appreciate everything you ever did for me that you definitely had no obligation to do.

Thank you for being my mentor, my friend and my second mom.

Sincerely,

Kimberly