By the time you read this Mother’s Day will have already passed. I am sorry I didn’t come home to spend it with you, but I hope this makes up for it.

I know that as a mother you get put through a lot. You do work that goes unnoticed. You’re never sure if your work pays off. You worry, laugh, cry, scream and break your back trying to make sure your kids turn out to be good people.

On this Mother’s Day, I wanted to let you know that I think you did an awesome job. I think we turned out good. I think all your worrying and all your work paid off. I think you produced some good people, and I am proud to be one of them.

That being said, I have a lot to thank you for. So, sit down, buckle up and get ready for all the gratitude I’m going to throw your way.

Thank you for listening.

Mom, you always listen to me. Now, whether you hear me or not is a different story (sometimes I think you just pretend to listen but that’s okay. At least it looks like you’re paying attention). But you always let me sit and whine, gripe, complain, gush, gossip and babble on.

My friends tell me I’m a good listener, too. I know that when my friends point out how good I am at listening to them whine, I got that from you. So, thank you Mom.

Thank you for always saying, “Maybe you should pray about it.”

No matter what the situation is, you always tell me to pray about it. You have no idea what kind of impact this has on me! What you’re really doing when you tell me to pray is you’re pointing me to the only One who can fix anything I am going through. You’re point me to the only One with answers. I’m sure that, as my Mom, you want to be able to fix everything for me and give me all the answers. But you can’t so you point me to God, and that is powerful. You taught me that I need to take it to the Lord before I take it anywhere else. Thank you also for raising me in the Church and for making sure my butt was there most Sundays and Wednesdays.

Thank you for praying for me.

I don’t know what kind of dark hole I would be stuck in if I didn’t have a mother who prayed over me continuously. I may never know the impact your 20 years of prayer have had. But I do know that I got lucky.

Sometimes I get to thinking about all the people I know who don’t have Christian parents and how they don’t have a mom to pray for them. I think about how scary that is. How sad that is. How different their lives might be if they did have prayer. I got blessed with you, Mom.

Thank you for always buying me things for no reason.

‘Nuff said.

Thank you for becoming my best friend at the right time.

We didn’t start really being friends until I moved to go to UGA, and I think that was just the perfect timing. You couldn’t be my BFF while I was in middle school because you had to make sure I turned out alright (you were never concerned with if I liked you, but you were very concerned that you were doing your job as a parent. That’s a good thing!). You couldn’t be my friend in high school, either, because you still had to be my authority. So, after I turned out okay and moved out from under your roof, our relationship changed. I think it’s safe to say we are friends now. We gossip and send each other cute text messages. We give each other advice. We make each other feel better. I can go to you with and for anything and I know you’ll be there. Thanks for being not only a Mom, but a friend. And thank you for waiting for the appropriate time.

Now it’s about to get real:

Thank you for loving me through my middle school years.

You and I both know that middle school was not kind to me. And I wasn't kind to you through it. I put you through so much crap I can’t take back, and I am sorry. I tried to grow up too fast. I did things I wasn’t supposed to. I screamed and fought with you over any little thing. I remember hating your guts. But I also remember you loving me even when I’m sure you didn’t want to.

I will never forget one night we had an awful fight and you looked me in the eyes and you said to me, “You don’t even know how much I love you. I would die for you, but right now I don’t like you.” I will never forget you saying that to me. Because that made me want to be someone you did like. I knew you loved me but I wanted you to like me, too. I wanted to stop fighting with you over every little thing. I wanted to be close to you and have a good relationship with you because you’re my mother. So, when you said that it made me want to straighten myself up and quit doing the stupid stuff I was doing. You delivered that line at the perfect moment.

Thank you for never hiding anything from Dad.

I know so many kids out there whose Mom hid things from their Dad. So many times I’ve heard, “Yeah, but she’s not gonna tell my dad, so thank God." Mom, you cared more about your relationship with your husband than you did sparing me some extra punishment. That’s how it’s supposed to be. This goes right along with becoming friends at the right time and making sure I turned out good. You weren’t concerned with me liking you, but with what kind of person I was to become. So, you didn’t hide things from Dad. You told him the stupid stuff I did and you let him punish me. You were a submissive wife who gave your husband authority over how your kids were to be raised. What an example!

Thank you for punishing me.

I know so many kids who didn't have the privilege of getting their butts worn out growing up like I did, and I can honestly say (without being conceited) that they didn't turn out quite as good as I did. I remember in middle school you took my cell phone away for almost five months. I hated you so much for that at first and then, as the months went on, I appreciated it. Not only were you punishing me for doing things I shouldn't have been doing, you were releasing me from those things. And even though I'm sure it hurt you to see me get spanked or see me unhappy, I want you to know that I think you always did the right things. Thank you for that.

Thank you for being my Mom.

I wouldn't want anyone else but you. I could go on and on but it would never be enough. I owe so much to you and there are no words I could say that would adequately express my gratitude. Just know that you are my favorite mom in the entire world, and even on days when you feel like you failed, you succeeded. Motherhood is a messy, but you got a lot right. I have never lacked for anything, including love. I love you, Mom. Happy Mother's Day!