Ihave been writing gratitude letters lately, and I cannot think of anyone more important in my life to write a letter to than you. I love you so much and I’m so grateful you are my mom. I think about all the sacrifices you made for me while I was growing up. You have loved me so well my whole life. You have been a steady, safe place for me to land whenever I have been too scared or too lost to have perspective. You have always been there for me. Always.
Thank you for loving me no matter what. I’m not sure I have ever expressed my gratitude to you for that. It takes a special kind of love to show up for someone no matter the circumstances. Even when you have disagreed, or you have been confused or concerned about the choices I have made; you are still there for me. Even though you have struggled with your own life’s issues, you are consistently there for me. I know we are not perfect… but your love for me has been perfectly clear to me my whole life. At the end of the day, I will go to my grave knowing that my mother loved me unconditionally. You love your people. It’s what you do and who you BE. It’s your superpower. I watch you live a wholehearted life. A life that is committed to doing the best you know how until you know better. When you know better, I see you do better. You have shared with me that you are proud of the woman I have grown to be…. and I want you to know that I wouldn’t be who I am today without your guidance, love, and encouragement. I’m proud to call you, “Mom.” I’m proud to follow in your footsteps.
I watch you choose to see the beauty in a world that has such pain and heartache. And you have helped me to see it too. Even during turbulent times, you see love and you find something to be grateful for. You taught me what commitment, honor, and integrity look like. You showed me what compassion and kindness looked like as I was growing up. You taught me that being kind to others is the most powerful way to love. I watched you be kind and understanding towards others. You thought of other people’s needs and instilled that wisdom in my life. You have continuously inspired generations of our family and friends, including those born before and after you. You are a safe place for us all to find connection and to feel heard. You are my most favorite teacher. I can feel how proud your parents are of the life you have lived. They are loving you from heaven.
You have shown me in a million different ways that you love me, cherish me even. That love transferred into self confidence that has inspired me and allowed me to believe in myself. It has been the kind of love that has helped me see infinite possibilities, like going to college even though I didn’t know how we would make it work. It was a love that kept me grounded when I was experiencing my first broken heart. No matter what, I knew that my mom loved me. Even when my world felt like it was falling apart, I understood deep in my soul that you were proud of me and that you accepted me, imperfections and all. Your love for me is woven into the foundation of my sense of self-worth that has kept me going even when I didn’t know how to continue. You wanted to protect me, and guide me, and love me. If I ever needed a hug or shoulder to cry on, you were there for me. You influenced my world for the better.
Your faith is a living thing that I have felt emanating from your soul my whole life, especially during the scariest times growing up. Your faith seems to be the foundation that keeps you grounded. Your faith seems to be a guiding force in your life. And that force has inspired me to find faith deep inside my soul. As I have matured and gained wisdom through experience, I realize that even though our spirituality looks different on the outside, it is the same faith that connects us all to each other and the world around us. You guide with grace. You guide through doing as you say.
During the times that I felt far away from you, I realized it was because I forgot that I could come to you with my confusion, or my resentments, or my fears. You believed in me even when I questioned myself. There were times I chose to step out into the unknown with the knowledge that your belief in me has been unwavering. Even when I felt like I couldn’t trust myself, I knew I could trust in you.
I know you will always love me no matter what I do or where I go. You inspired me to do things my own way by trusting my inner voice. You gave me the space and the support to spread my own wings. And, when life threw curve balls, you were there when I turned to you.
You have taught me the most important lessons in this life through your love for me. My desire to bring love and gratitude into this world has grown from you loving me unconditionally. I am who I am because you are who you are.
Because you loved me,
I believe in myself
I believe I can
I believe because you believed in me
I have learned to trust myself
I have learned how to love
I have learned how to use my voice
I have learned to be strong
I have learned to lift others up
I always knew, always, that if I ever needed a place to cry, I could come to you. If I ever needed to share a deep dark secret, or when I was suffering, I knew I could come to you. I knew you would be there for me. When the weight of the world was on my shoulders, I knew you would help carry the burden by being there and listening. You share your wisdom by reminding me of the beauty in the world.
I strive to be the same guiding light for my own children the way you are for me. I want to be there when they feel lost and alone. I want to be there when they need a place to cry and when they need to be reminded that they were made in love and with strength. I want to build trust with them so that when the world breaks their heart, they will know they can come to me.
I can’t think of a more powerful love than the love you have shown me all my life. Thank you for being you. Thank you for loving me fully and unconditionally. I feel a deep sense of gratitude for you that it is difficult to put into words. I will always love you. No matter what. And I will take that love and share it with others.
I love you. With my whole heart. Always and forever.
Your deeply grateful daughter,
Christine
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