Dear Mom,
Although I know you know how much I love you for giving me life, I don’t think you can begin to truly understand how much I appreciate, respect, and look up to you. There is no way I tell you often enough…
You’ve supported me through absolutely everything. I remember you coming to my first dance recitals when I was only four or five. I never got to tell you how thankful I am that you spent time doing my hair, putting blush on me, and watching me twirl around stage a few times. How could I know that you’d still be in those same seats supporting me 14 years later? You’ve been my biggest and most dedicated fan since day one.
You were there through every rotten middle school year. You put up with my unpredictable, incomprehensible mood swings, and countered them with nothing but love and kindness. You have forgiven every bratty comment, every slammed door, and every unnecessary eye roll. Thank you for not holding those years against me. Thank you for seeing the goodness in me even when I didn’t deserve it.
You were my best friend through my first heartbreak; I’ve never found a more comforting shoulder to cry on. You helped me find grace and strength even through my worst memories. Thank you for reminding me that I deserve a love just as unfaltering as the one you have for me and dad has for you. I’ll never grow tired of your long hugs or back rubs, and I know now that even on my saddest days I’ll never truly be alone.
Any time I’ve had a bad day or a hard week, I know a phone call with you will make it all seem okay again. You are a much-needed reality check when I’m overwhelmed, yet you always believe in me more than I do myself. Thank you for pushing me to try my hardest but never asking too much of me. Thank you for encouraging me to relax when I’ve overworked myself and for sending me money to treat myself when you know I wouldn’t otherwise.
Thank you for being my role model. There have been so many times when I think of you and wonder how a person can find such inner peace and gratefulness with the simplicity of their life. When I think of you, one of my favorite memories is of you as the Sunday school choir director singing “The Fruit of the Spirit,” holding up random plastic fruits, and dancing all crazy, as usual, around our sanctuary— it has always been one of my favorite bible school songs for that very reason. The song says, “The fruit of the spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control.” It took me years, but I can finally appreciate all those qualities, and I’ve never met someone who embodies them all as magnificently as you do.
Mom, you see the best in every single person you meet. You love our family wholeheartedly, and I know you’d do anything for each and every one of us. You find joy in the smallest things in life: a cat’s paws, a bird’s nest, a small blooming flower, a long run, or a day out in the garden. The small things you consider daily blessings are beautiful and they, too, help me recognize the joy this world radiates. You’ve never started an argument or raised you voice at me, even when I deserved it. You enjoy every moment of life, never wishing it to go faster. You are kind, good, and gentle in every interaction you have with another person. Your faithfulness has not only encouraged me to grow closer to God but also shown me what it looks like to have a healthy, loving relationship. And your self-control is shown in your selflessness— you’d put anyone’s needs before your own.
This letter honestly should be much longer than it is— there’s so much more I should thank you for. But, just know that not a day goes by without me feeling blessed that you’re both my mom and my best friend. Happy Mother’s Day to the best of them all.
Love, Your Daughter