—Abe Lincoln
Dear Mom,
1. Thank you for doing my laundry before I knew how.
Thank you Mom, for making sure I had clean clothes to wear each day free from grass, food and blood stains. Thanks for waking up at 6 a.m. to make sure all of the laundry got done in time for breakfast.
2. Thank you for making my meals, all of them.
Thank you for waking up each day to make breakfast and also my lunch before school. Thank you for having a snack ready for after school and then preparing dinner.
3. Thank you for teaching me to see the best in people.
Thank you for being there to show me that there is good in everyone and to see the silver lining in every situation.
4. Thank you for being selfless.
Thank you for giving up everything you want so that I could have the world. You sacrifices are appreciated. That time you wanted to just relax after work, but I needed help on a school project will not be forgotten.
5. Thank you for making sure I checked in when I went out with friends.
Thank you for teaching me to eventually be responsible and check in with you so that you know I am still alive.
6. Thank you for dealing with my case of the Mondays even though Monday was five days ago.
This is basically for the mood swings that you had to endure as I went through my teenage years. The mood swings, the yelling, the sobbing, the “I HATE YOU”s are not easy things to put up with and I am thankful you did.
7. Thank you for doing your job as a mom all year round, in addition to your actual job.
Thank you for waking up in the middle of the night to find my cold medicine and clean up barf and checking for ghosts underneath my bed. I know sleep is precious to you, but you got up anyways.
8. Thank you for teaching me how to handle money.
Thank you for the allowance and not giving me a penny more. It taught me the value of money and to get the thought that “everything is free” out of my head.
9. Thank you for forgiving me even though I hurt your feelings.
Thank you for having thick skin when I said hurtful things and still doing your motherly duties. I know you could have just let me starve or find a way to school after a stupid fight but you packed my lunch and drove me anyways.
10. Thank you for teaching me how to handle conflict.
Thank you for showing me to keep quiet on not act out on my emotions and say things I don’t mean. Thank you also for teaching me how to speak up and stand up for what I believe in.
11. Thank you for making sure I used my manners.
Thank you for making me say “please” and “thank you” to everyone and use my manners. Now I understand how awful it looks when people don’t use their manners and I am glad you made sure I did.
12. Thank you for helping me with my homework.
Thank you for helping me (forcing me to) do my homework. It helped in school (even if I don’t want to admit it).
13. Thank you for teaching me the importance of hygiene.
Thank you for teaching me how to be a clean person because, well, everyone likes a clean person.
14. Thank you for the gift of persistence.
Thank you for teaching me to keep at something if I want to get better at it and keep doing it. I understand now that great things take time and effort.
15. Thank you for the thick skin and teaching the meaning of the word “fair.”
Thank you for teaching me that not everything is just going to magically turn out in my favor or go my way. It taught me to work for what I want and not be self entitled.
16. Thank you for tucking me in at night.
Thank you for helping me sleep better by tucking me in at night. Now I realize that not everyone is that lucky to have someone to do that for them and I did.
17. Thank you for teaching me patience.
Thank you for teaching me how to wait and be patient because in life, that is all you can do at times.
18. Thank you for all the answers and for teaching me to keep asking questions.
Thank you for answering all my why’s, how’s, who’s and what’s. Thank you also for teaching me to continue to keep asking questions because knowledge is an amazing tool to have in your tool box and you can’t know unless you ask.
19. Thank you for your friendship.
Thank you for being my assigned friend. You are there when I feel up, down, confused and just plain angry. Thank you for being my best friend, even though it took me several years to see you as that.
20. Thank you for the laughter.
Thank you for all the laughter you have provided me from my childhood up until this day and making sure I had the opportunity to laugh.
21. Thank you for letting me worry about irrelevant things.
Thank you for letting me sob about prom, an old boyfriend (of two weeks), not being able to go out past ten and not seeing rated R movies. Thank you for letting me be a teenager and not forcing me to grow up too fast.
22. Thank you for teaching me to always be myself.
Thank you for letting me know it is okay to be myself. You taught me that it is okay to be happy with who I am and to only better myself if I wanted. Thank you also for the drive and the want to better myself.
23. Thank you for teaching me family is important.
Thank you for always having open arms no matter what was going on and teaching me the meaning of unconditional love. You are the reason I am who I am today and have taught me that family will always be there for you. Featured photo credit: Maternity- Sara K Byrne via flickr.com
