"To the woman who held my hand through all the painful days, and kissed my cheek on all the beautiful days."

Dear Mom,

There are so many things I want to say to you, so many things I wish I can tell the world about you. I want to start with the fact that I am so beyond lucky to be able to have you as my mom. You are the most selfless, kind hearted, and beautiful woman I have ever met and I thank the stars in the sky for you every night. You took on the job of being a mother at a young age and I know it's not all rainbows and butterflies. There are hard days, but even in those times you pull it off so effortlessly. Thank you for being the person that wipes my tears and tells me to keep a stiff upper lip and to stay grateful and for also being the person that can yell the lyrics to a Beyoncé song in the car with me.

You are the person I look up to the most, you always keep yourself together so strongly. You have the warmest heart but skin made of steel, it's what I love the most about you. I am so incredibly proud of you don't every forget that. I am proud of the way you take control of yourself, the way you have learned to love yourself and the way you teach me and my sister what self worth is. What I am most proud of and admire the most about you is the way you so gracefully took on the challenge of being a single mother. We don't know all the pain you went through because you always wanted us to see you happy. You always flashed us that million dollar smile, followed by the sweetest laugh that echoes in our minds when we are away from you. Thank you for showing me how to be strong on the outside when your insides feel like they're drowning.

Thank you, for choosing to stay in my life. You're the woman who made me who I am, but not the one who carried me for nine months. Thank you for choosing to raise me, and teaching me all the ways of life even though you were learning alongside me. You taught me how to believe in myself, to never lose hope and to hold on to my faith. Thank you for being the one that spoils me with love, the one that makes me laugh until my stomach hurts and for being the one to teach me the difference between right and wrong. Step moms are normally made out to be the evil villain in all Hollywood stories, but you are the super hero of mine. You are the best mom my sister and I could possibly ask for and we would be lost without you. When my day to be a mom comes around I hope to be as great of a mother as you are.

You are my best friend, Mom.

I love you forever.

Xoxo,

Your (favorite) loving daughter.