Dear Mom,

Everyone in the family has gotten their article, and now it’s time for yours. Don’t worry, I saved the best for last.

First of all, let me start by saying thank you. Thank you for being a hard-ass and never letting me get away with anything. As much as I hated it then, it’s been such a blessing to be held accountable for everything. Thank you for always making amazing food and showing me how to do the same. It’s pretty great when I cook for Mama and she tells me that the food is good.

Thank you for showing me there’s a right way to be loved. You once told me to watch out for people who love you for what you can give them and not for who you are, and that always stuck with me. Watching you and daddy interact with each other showed me that love isn’t supposed to be hard all the time. It’s supposed to be happy, spontaneous and loyal. Also, you and daddy gave me unrealistic expectations for high school relationships, so thank you for that.

It’s so weird being away from you. I’ve spent pretty much every moment with you since the day I was born. All of those fights, laughs and memories fill my mind when I think about home and my family. I’m constantly saying that I miss you and that, even though we always fought in high school, you were one of my biggest role models.

Thank you for letting me bug you every day with some dumb story about my life and then turning it into a life lesson because you took something the completely wrong way. Thank you for listening to me gossip about everyone I come into contact here. Thank you for showing me to never take myself too seriously and to laugh at the stupid things I do.

So much of me that is the way I am because of you. Family and old friends tell me I look and act like you more and more every day and I never saw it until I caught your usual sarcasm coming out of my mouth. At that moment, I knew I was just becoming you when you weren’t around. I mean, look at that picture of you that I recreated. Everyone swore up and down I was you. That picture is hanging up in my room to always remind me of the beautifully strong woman I call my mother.

I love you so much even though you read into everything way too deeply. I love you even though you yell at me for things I do that I think are hilarious. I love you even though I’m 100 percent convinced that you are mad at me all the time.

Thank you for always being there for me.

Love,

Your favorite daughter

“There’s no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one.” -- Jill Churchill