In honor of upcoming Mother’s Day, I find it only fitting to write a few words to the woman that gave me life almost 26 years ago. I hope that on days when you are missing me more than ever over the next year, that you can look back, read this and know that you will always be in my heart wherever I am.
Dear Mom,
There are not enough words in the world that could express my love and gratitude for your beautiful soul. 26 years ago almost to this day, you gave birth to your second child and second daughter. I wonder some days what your first thoughts were when you first saw me. Did you wonder if you were going to be a good mother? Did you feel overwhelmed knowing you now had 2 little ones under the age of 3? Did you think about what my future would hold for me? They say that there is no bond like the bond between a mother and child and I think that I would have to agree. God definitely knew what he was doing when he picked you to be my mother.
As I look back on my life, I have so much to thank you for. I could never encompass all of them in one blog but I’m going to try.
First, thank you for being you. I hope you know that I admire so much about you as a person. You are gentle, caring, nurturing, understanding, devoted, hard working, patient, beautiful, and fun! You have given me something to aspire to as a mother, wife, and friend. I hope that one day I can say that I am half the woman that you are.
Thank you to you and Dad for showing me what a healthy, happy, loving, devoted marriage looks like. While I am stumbled along the way with my choices in men, I know that I am always striving to have a marriage that resembles yours and refuse to settle. I never questioned whether you loved each other. It never crossed my mind that you would ever separate. You showed me that marriage requires work every day. That it is not sunshine and rainbows all the time and that you have to make the choice every day to wake up and put work into the it. It truly is a beautiful thing to watch as a child and now even more as an adult.
Thank you for teaching me responsibility and allowing me to fail. This is probably the biggest life lesson that I am most thankful for. You taught me responsibility by not giving me everything I wanted and teaching me the value of a dollar. By showing me what hard work gets you and encouraging me to get a job in my teen years. Thank you for letting me fail. There were so many times that you could have stepped in and fixed the situation but you didn’t. Through that, I learned how to accept failure and pick myself back up and move on. I learned to take responsibility for my actions and own up to my wrongdoings. I know how to stand on my own two feet and developed problem solving skills.
Thank you for letting me be me. I know that I was not the easiest child to raise. I was a rebel from the get go and tested your patience more than once I am sure. Thank you for allowing me to freely develop into the woman I am today and not pressuring me to conform to your beliefs and ideals. For teaching me that being different doesn’t mean that I am any less special. That my independence is something that I should cherish. For making me feel beautiful on my worst days and teaching me to love my body, whatever shape it is in.
Thank you for being my best friend. Now that I am grown, we have developed this beautiful friendship that goes beyond just a mother and daughter. You are my confidant and rock that I can lean on in time of need. You are honest and open with opinions about my decisions that you don’t always agree with. You are ALWAYS there for me. I can tell you anything and know that judgement will be laid by the waste side. You love me and comfort me through my struggles and celebrate with me during successes. You are my #1 fan and strongest supporter. I value your thoughts and opinions and always look forward to each time we get to spend together.
Finally, thank you for teaching me about God and faith at a very young age and for raising me with values and morals. Without the introduction to God at my young age, I would not be where I am today. Thank you for making us go to church and get involved. Those are some of the best memories I have from my childhood. Thank you for praying for me every day, especially over the past few years. Your steadfast faith in knowing that I would one day find my foundation in Christ again is something I will always cherish. You are such a Godly woman and I admire your strength and love for God. It shows every day through your actions and words.
You are truly the most amazing woman I have ever known. You will never know how much I value and cherish our relationship. Thinking about leaving for a year and not seeing you is so difficult for me. But I know even when we are thousands of miles apart that I will still feel you loving me each day. Over the next year, I hope that we grow together as women of God. I hope that you are able to live my experiences through my eyes and grow as an individual. I know that while the departure will be so bitter, our reunion will be so much sweeter.
Mom, I love you. To the ends of the earth. To the moon and back. You will always be my role model, special person, and best friend. I hope that this letter gives you just a little insight into how much you are cherished and loved by those around you.
Love, Kelly
