Dear Mother,

I wake up everyday thinking of reasons of how and why I have gotten to have such an incredible life. I think back to my childhood and I wonder what would have happened if I didn't get to have a life like I did. What if I grew up differently, would I be the same person, or would I have been different? Would my life be completely different if I wasn't raised by you? And honestly, I don't ponder those thoughts too long because I am incredibly thankful every day that I was raised by you, a single mother. Yes, I still saw my father on the weekends, but you raised my sisters and me all by yourself. And I am still, to this day, astonished how you did it. I wanted to write you this letter to thank you for so many things you did for me and how appreciative I really. I always think you might know how thankful I am, but sometimes I know life can get in the way and you may forget that I do appreciate you and everything you have done for me. Here are some of the things that I am thankful for.

Thank you for always putting my sisters and me before anyone else

Thank you for supporting everything I did and wanted to do

Thank you for pushing me to become a better person

Thank you for installing in my head that education is important and I should always keep learning even when I'm not in school

Thank you for being there in tough situations when I needed someone to lean on.

Thank you for letting me make my own decisions and supporting them when you may not agree with them.

Thank you for making me get out of my comfort zone when I was scared to, for that I've become a better person.

Thank you for being patient with me.

Thank you for putting me through college

Thank you for helping me with life decisions

Thank you for my experiences

Thank you for being as crazy as I am with cats

Thank you for being there through all my heart aches

Thank you for giving me so much of your advice and wisdom because you really do know it all.

Thank you for always unconditionally loving me.

There are so many things I want to thank you for, but I feel like writing all these thank you's do not do it justice. You have literally shown me how a mother should be whether they are divorced or married. You have shown that a woman can do it all and that you can be superwoman and provide everything two people can. You're such a strong, beautiful woman and I have always looked up to and always have wanted to grow up to be like you. There isn't a day that goes by that I'd change my mind about that. You inspire me all the time and I hope one day when I have children that they will look at me like I look at you.