An Open Letter to My Single Mother

Mom,

You raised us with an open heart and open arms, and you did it on your own. Yes, it takes a village. On the day-to-day, though, you were the one putting us to bed and wiping our noses.

Everyone always told you that our relationship would crack one day. When I was a kid, we got along so well. That never changed. Yes, we have disagreed. We never let that get between us, though. We never did the rotten teen faze. I’m so grateful for that. I would’ve been heartbroken.

I only ever wanted your approval, and you don’t withhold it. You tell us when you’re proud, and it means a lot to us because we know you mean it.

I can count on my hands how many times I’ve seen you buy yourself something at the mall, and we shop a lot. You’re the most selfless person I know.

Everyone who meets you is lucky to know you. To know someone that has such selfless love for others is incredible. We’ve grown and changed together over the years as individuals and as a family.

You are the basis of everything I know. I learned to read being rocked to sleep in our old armchair. I learned to do math at the kitchen table. I learned to love myself through your words of wisdom.

I hope to be as strong as you one day. Through every hard event in my life, I know I could come to you. Anytime there was something going on, I know you’d have something strong to say. You could offer me that firm support. Even when you were at your weakest, you were just what I needed.

Being an older mother isn’t easy. Being a single mother isn’t easy. You were always worried that my friends would tease me because you weren’t as young as their moms. The simple fact is that if they’d had anything to say, I wouldn’t have cared. You were always exactly who I needed and wanted.

You are the strongest woman to have raised two head-strong kids. I hope I show you every day that you did right by us.

• life
• mother
• parents
• relationships