An Open Letter: Mother's Day

An open letter to my mother, my grandmothers, and my many mother figures:

To my many mother figures:

Whether you are my aunt, the mother of my best friend, or even my mother’s best friend, I want to take the time to recognize your impact on my life this Mother’s Day. I hope each one of you know how much I appreciate you. When I’m away from my mom, you take on the position of a second mother without any hesitation. You feed me, welcome me into your home, and act as my guardian until the moment I leave your …... Many of you have raised children of your own, but still love and care for me like you would your own child, and to me, that is something I admire so deeply. Some of you have known me since I was a little girl and have watched me grow up and become the person I am today. I wish I could express how much I would love to thank every one of you individually and thank you for being an asset to my life and why I’m who I am today. You take on one of the hardest roles of being an adult by caring so much for someone else’s child while they are in your home or in your care. That is truly one of the most incredible things and it doesn’t go unnoticed for even a moment. This Mother’s Day, I want to thank you all for inspiring me and always being there for me. I thank God everyday to have such strong women to look up to and learn from.

To my grandmas:

You are two of the most important people in my life. You are the funniest, most caring people I’ve ever met, and I can’t imagine the person I’d be if I didn’t have you. I hear so many stories of people who never got the chance to be close to their grandmas, and I simply can’t wrap my head around never tasting your brownies and sugar cookies or never getting to hear your stories from when you were young. Thank you for sitting through every two-hour dance recital even if I’m only in one number, thank you for watching football games on cold fall nights just to see me cheer, and thank you for always being my biggest supporters. You give me the strength and confidence to be who I am and you show me how important it is to be kind to others and show the world love. I am so thankful and blessed to know I was born into the families of two strong, passionate women. You two deserve the world. I wish from the bottom of my heart that every person could have two amazing people like you to look up too. You have given me the world and I wish there was a way that you could know how much you mean to me and how much I love and adore you. There are simply no words I have to express my admiration for the countless things you both have done for me, including raising two incredible people that I get to call Mom and Dad. No matter what, I always have comfort knowing I can come to you with anything and you’ll always know just what to say. I can’t imagine what my life would be like if you weren’t ever in it, but I’m so glad I never have to find out. This Mother’s Day, I hope the two most special people in my life know how much I love and care about them. I love you two with every ounce of my heart and want to thank you a million times for being my teachers, mentors, and biggest inspirations.

To my mother:

How do I even begin to write about a person who has given me all of her love, lived through all of my breakdowns, and helped me through the hardest decisions. Someone that special deserves a lot more than words on a paper. She’s the one who deserves every bit of love and happiness this world has to offer plus more, and I know every person wishes this for their mother too. I wish I could give back to her even half of what she’s given to me. When I was young, she wasted money on dolls and silly knick knacks that I didn’t need, and through my high school years, helped me through every relationship and decision I had. It seems like my mom could carry the weight of the world on her shoulders, and sometimes, it seems like she does. That woman is full of the strength and love for others that I hope to have half of one day.

Have you ever noticed how your mom knows things about you that you don’t even know? How she can read you better than you can read you? How she knows how you’re feeling even if you’re acting another way? I wonder everyday how on Earth she does that. That’s the closest thing the real world can get to a super power… My mom is literally a super hero. Without her, I truly believe that the world wouldn’t be the same. Being a teacher and a certified instructor at a therapeutic riding center, the amount of people she’s worked with and inspired is unfathomable. Along with impacting all of those people, she’s the one that holds our family together. She handles things around the house, takes care of the animals, and juggles all of our problems while working two jobs and running around because of her busy schedule. That’s pretty heroic if you ask me.

There will never be any way to express how blessed I am to have a mother who loves me and my family unconditionally. My mom is the strongest person I’ve ever met. She looks out for me and always makes sure that I’m on the right path. She's sat through countless hours of games and concerts and recitals and never, ever misses one. Mothers are such an immense blessing and they should be celebrated every single day and not just Mother’s Day. Thank you, Mom, for the endless hugs and reassurance, for always encouraging me to be the best I can be, and for teaching me so much about life and love. You are one of the most important people in my life and there is no possible way that I could ever live without you. You are my shoulder to lean on and my very best friend.

Thank you, Mom, for everything you do not only today but every day.

My favorite human on the planet