Dear Mom,
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.
Growing up, I don’t think I ever appreciated all of the hard work that you do. I still remember when I was a toddler, you would be watching me play in the backyard while cooking dinner, taking care of my brother and Dad, preparing for the jobs you had the next day, and going through your own personal trials and tribulations of life.
I just don’t know how you did it, and continue to do it.
And I just wanted to say that I’m sorry.
Recently, I realized how much of your hard work in your life was for me. You have sacrificed so much of yourself to get me to where I am, and I am forever grateful to you. I’ve never met someone in my life that constantly puts others before herself, or met someone who can do everything in the world, and still have time to give me a phone call during the day to see how I’m doing. But that’s just what hardworking moms do.
Now that I’m older, I know that you have had struggles in your life—whether it was having to take multiple jobs to make ends meet, to deal with forms of abuse, to raise kids as a single mom even though you’re married…and I want to apologize for not thanking you sooner.
You’re someone who has taught me so much. You taught me how to take care of people, to always be kind, never be judgmental, and how to read clocks. You helped me with my homework when you had no idea what I was learning, you carried me from bus stops when I was tired and didn’t want to walk anymore, and you played with my hair when I was broken and crying in your lap.
You have been my everything for the past twenty-one years, and I can’t believe that it’s taken me so long to truly appreciate you. There are about a million and a half reasons why you are not just my idol, but someone whom I can call my hero.
I want to let you know how much I love you, and that it’s okay to not be okay all the time. There’s something about you and all these supermoms: you never break down. I don’t know if it’s a characteristic that you have because you’re good at everything, but I’m suspicious that sometimes you might need to slow down but can’t because you’re a “mom”. But I want to make sure that you’re okay. I want to start taking care of you because you did such a good job with me.
So to my mom, the moms of the world, and to the women who have helped raise me, please know that I’m sorry. Please know that you’re insanely good at what you do. Please know that you’re valid. Please know that we love you.
Yours,
Shania and the thankful children