Evil stepmothers were a theme in Disney movies throughout my childhood. From the original Cinderella movie to Ella Enchanted on Disney Channel, Disney had made the idea of a stepmother synonymous with a miserable life. So when you came into my life when I was an awkward 12-year-old, I expected the worst.

I admit I wasn't the easiest child, and you happened to come into my life during the most difficult time to parent me (since I was more difficult as a 13-year-old than I was at 16; but not to worry, my younger sister compensated for that). But you dove in head first. You took the little boys my father had raised and turned us into (somewhat) respectable little girls. You managed to teach us table etiquette, to put dishes in the dishwasher instead of the leaving them in the sink, to clean up after ourselves and the proper way to ask you guys for something (though this one took a little longer than the rest). And you did this without being asked and without a thank you.

Which is where I come in: thank you.

Thank you for coming into my sister's and my lives. We would be a wreck without you. Could you imagine what the house would look like? It would be a mess. Just like all of us. (I know you remember that ugly purple couch my dad had in the living room before you decided it was time for grown up furniture.)

Thank you for taking on the world's most difficult job. It isn't easy being a stepmom. You jumped in without knowing what to expect and no handbook. You were getting to know my sister and I while trying to parent us at the same time, and that's not the easiest thing to do. But you accepted this task with open arms.

Thank you for being the mediator between dad and I. I mess up a lot, but you are always the one we call. We can count on you not to get too mad and to calm down dad. You saved my sister and me a lot of tears, and Dad a lot of yelling (and, let's be real, some tears from him too), and I don't think I will ever be able to say how much I appreciate you for this.

Thank you for loving my dad. He deserves it. He deserves the world. You make him so incredibly happy and, while I may be jealous of the fun things you do without us, I really appreciate you making him take a break from life. You both work really hard so enjoy the times you have together when it's just the two of you.

Thank you for having an obscene amount of patience. The downside to being thrown into parenthood is that you're eventually treated like a parent. To be very honest, you were never thought of as a stepmom. You were always thought of as another parent. And sometimes that means we get frustrated with you and don't say the nicest things. But I need you to know that we never mean it. You have been an amazing role model in my life. I know it can be hard to put forth effort and have it squashed, but we see and appreciate that effort and don't mean to hurt you. So, again, thank you for sticking with us no matter what.

You should be told this more often, but I appreciate and love you. Thank you for being you. And not completely losing your mind when I leave my room messy.