dear mother.

Dear Mother,

In all of our years together and all of our journeys, I have never told you how much you mean to me in so many different ways. I’d like to use the opportunity of your almost 20^th Mother’s Day (since you were preparing to be my mother long before the day I was actually born) to tell you. I hope all the words I write may give you a sense of my gratitude for you being such an amazing mother. I hope they will do you a small justice. I love you.

Daughter

“Whenever I am with my mother, I feel as though I have to spend the whole time avoiding land mines”

– Amy Tan

Dear Mother,

I saw this quote and thought “Haven’t we been there many times… and still are sometimes?” But even though that quote is true of us, it’s probably true of everyone else. But even though the best of the conversations in which we miraculously avoid disaster and those moments we wish we could forget, one thing still stands true; you are my mother and I love you for it.

“The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rocks the world.” – W.R. Wallace

Dear Mother,

Every day I wake up and look in the mirror and see myself, but every day I see more and more of you in me. And every day I see more and more of you in me, I see how beautiful you are and how beautiful you have made me. While it’s sometimes a little shock to see you looking back at me even for a split moment, it’s deeper that just the physical beauty you have given me. There is a love in your face and your eyes that I hope someday to even have a glimmer of. But because you are my mother, I have hope.

“The mother’s heart is the child’s schoolroom.” – Henry Ward Beecher

Dear Mother,

Since I was a young kid, I’ve always been able to count on your unending love and forgiveness. From the first time I told a lie to sneaking out in the middle of the night, you have been there to forgive my wrongs (after considerable punishment). And show me how I wasn’t only hurting you, but how I was hurting myself when I did do things you wouldn’t do if you were me. You’ve taught me the differences not only between right and wrong, but when and how to forgive and forget, which makes my life that much easier and filled with love.

“People are generally irrational, unreasonable, and selfish. They deserve to be loved anyway.”

– Mother Teresa

Dear Mother,

No matter how many times I’ve hurt you or mad you mad, I know in my heart you will never stop loving me. Add that to how much you love everyone else in your life and it’s amazing how you continually bring love into all of our lives and give it so freely. One would think that somehow you must run out sometimes, and sometimes it might feel that way, but you are so unique in your love I know that will never happen.

“Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs…since the payment is pure love.”

– Mildred B. Vermont

Dear Mother,

For most (all) of my life I have taken for granted that you are at home and being a mother rather than furthering your own career. The self-sacrifice is so phenomenal, and I hope that someday I may have a little bit of your ability to give of yourself. I know that if it weren’t for you dedicating each and every day since the day I was born to being my mother, I wouldn’t be who I am today.

“The family is the nucleus of civilization.” – Ariel & Will Durant

Dear Mother,

You have always told me how important my family is, yet I used to ignore you. I always knew that you’d be there for me so I didn’t bother to put any extra effort into making it better. It wasn’t until you all weren’t there anymore that I fully realized the extent of which I relied upon and needed you. It’s a completely different world in which you provide (mostly) only for yourself and have no one else to give to or receive from. The piece of cake or scone ever tastes as good without a mother to share it with over a cup of coffee. All the time and effort you put into the family every day is unfortunately not always seen, but the moment we leave, we recognize how much a part of our lives we all are to each other.

“Oh what a power is motherhood possessing / a potent spell / all women alike / fight fiercely for a child.” – Euripedes

Dear Mother,

It takes a special kind of person to fight battles that are not their own. You are the epitome of that person: a mother. Not only are you a mother, and not just any mother, but one that has seen more and fought through more than most. You have fought for our lives, our comforts, our joys, even through our pains. And the most amazing thing is that you never stop, you never give up. You are the strongest, most admirable person I have ever known. And I can only hope for a small candle of fighting flame to hold up to your roaring fire of strength and inconsumable love.

“Anyone who doesn’t miss the past never had a mother.” – Gregory Num

Dear Mother,

I can never in a hundred thousand years say thank you enough for all that you’ve done and all that you’ve given to me and the rest of the family. It’s not until you’re alone every night that you remember how good it is to hop into your mother’s bed in the morning or get a kiss goodnight. I remember as a child it used to hurt so much to have you even down the hall from me, so I’d come and sleep on the floor next to your bed. (I hope you didn’t mind). And now that I can’t it’s that much more painful to be away from the mother I love.

“An ounce of blood is worth more than a pound of friendship.” – Spanish proverb

Dear Mother,

After all the trials and errors I’ve faced with friendships of all kinds, there’s only one person I go to talk things through and make things alright: you. I’ve gone through many best friends and even more good friends, not to mention a few boyfriends, and even after the times when I’ve ignore you, you’ve always welcomed me home with open arms like no other. No matter what I wear or look like, say or do, you’ll always be my friend most true.

“All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” – Abraham Lincoln

Dear Mother,

Even though I’ve had my moments, days, and years when I’ve rebelled, ignored, and been downright nasty to you, there’s always been one undeniable truth at the back of my mind: that I’d never chose another mother. Why? Because then I’d be someone completely different, someone I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t like. Despite all of my shortcomings, I know that someday I may be able to overcome them just as you have simply because you have shown me how you are. You are strong, beautiful, vibrant, vivacious, fabulous, forgiving, persistent, and loving (last but certainly not least) and it is for all of these reasons that you are my mother and I love you.

Dear Mother,

I love you.

Daughter