Growing up with a mom who had you at such a young age came with a lot of judgment. The looks you get when you say your mom had you at 15, or the questions like, "oh your mom must let you do whatever you want" are frequent. Other parents are quick to judge and question the ability that your mom has to parent you. The truth behind it, though, is that I'm truly blessed to have a young mom and so thankful each and every day.

Having a young mom means that she understands what I'm going through because she was there not long ago. It's so comforting to have a person who understands you and doesn't look at your teen issues as something that's not a big deal. I can tell her any problem that comes along whether it's embarrassing, a typical boy problem or just when I'm not feeling like myself because she understands that even these small issues can feel huge at the time.

Having a young mom means that I can't get away with anything because she has already tried it. Although it doesn't always feel like a good thing, I can appreciate it later on because she tries to prevent me making huge mistakes that she may have made, and when I do make these mistakes she is there to hep pick up the pieces right away. She never passes judgment, and while she may be angry at first she is always there to talk it out with me.

Having a young mom means that I automatically have a best friend. When you have someone who is so understanding, thoughtful, can relate to you and will drop anything for you at any moment it's hard to think of them as anything other than your best friend.

Having a young mom means that I understand sacrifice and the measures you go to for someone you love. Giving up your teenage years to be a mom is not only admirable but requires strength that I couldn't even imagine having. The things that she couldn't do, or missed out on demonstrated to me the amount of love she had for me and made me appreciate her in ways that no one could understand.

So, thank you, mom. Thank you for being my best friend, support system and giving up everything you have for me. I appreciate you so much and couldn't imagine anyone else doing a better job than you have at being a mom. The blind judgement that comes with being such a young mom is undeserved, but you will never be judged in my eyes. You are my biggest role model, inspiration and greatest blessing in my life. I love you.