This is for all the phenomenal moms that had a child before they weren’t done being one.
To my young mom,
Thank you, thank you, and thank you for everything you have done for me. Thank you for sacrificing your teenage and early adult years to take care of a little one. Thank you for staying up with me in the middle of the night while I was crying and uncomfortable, even when you had a test the next day. Thank you for letting me meet your friends and create lifelong bonds with them. Thank you for sending me to daycare so I could socialize and make friends while you worked and went to school.
I know that I got in your way of a lot, especially at such a young age. I made you miss out on fun trips with friends, the dating scene, and most importantly, completing college (or choosing the career path you always dreamed of). I am sorry that none of my friends’ parents are your age, and I think that came as a disadvantage to both of us. But don’t worry, I still have the hottest mom on the playground.
Thank you for letting me learn on my own. From the day you dropped me off at preschool to the day you dropped me off at college, you have always allowed me to discover on my own and to search for my interests and passions. You have encouraged me every step of the way to go above and beyond what you achieved. You have been my biggest support system and I am ever grateful.
Thanks for sharing your music taste with me. I would’ve never loved 90s music as much as I do if it wasn’t for you. Thank you for taking me to movies and plays and teaching me to appreciate the arts. Thank you for adventuring to Disney World with me at such a young age so I could discover my love for the happiest place on earth.
Thank you for sharing the same sense of humor as I. As much as I feel discomfort in your comfort to tell sexual jokes, I’m glad you feel like you can share them with me as a friend (but really, I feel so awkward). Thanks for looking more like a sister than a mom and taking that as a compliment every time. Thank you for taking the bill when we are asked if it is together or separate. (Sorry, momma, but as a broke college kid, this one’s on you.)
Thank you for raising me to be like you. I know during my childhood years, I was not appreciative of restrictions, bedtimes, and boundaries, but today, I recognize that they have molded me into a respectful and disciplined person. Hearing the word ‘no’ taught me that I cannot always get what I want, and neither can others.
Most of all, thank you for being one of my best friends. Our closeness in age relates to our closeness in life, and I am grateful for the years I have spent with you and looking forward to a future creating more memories.
Love always,
Your little girl