Dear Mom...

Mom,
I thought after becoming a mom, I would know the perfect gift to get you for Mother's Day. The reality: I still have no idea what you want for Mother's Day. Because if you're anything like me, as a mom, you want the focus to be anywhere BUT on you. :) And something tells me we might have a thing or two in common.

But what I do know is this. And it's something I DIDN'T know until I became a mom.

You've lost sleep over me. You've stayed awake wondering where I am and what I'm doing. You've asked yourself if you're doing the right thing over and over again. You've felt immeasurable pain when, as a teenager,  I said I hated you. You felt pushed far far away when I didn't ask you to come backstage at dance competitions, but instead acted like I knew exactly what to do by myself.

You want to give me advice and influence my actions because you don't want me to have to go through the heartache, the struggle, the stress, and/or the pain you ever experienced. And the reason being because the amount of love you have in your heart for me is unmatched. My pain is your pain.

You wonder if you provided for me enough, educated me enough, exposed me to enough. What if you would've done something different - what if we hadn't moved - what if dad didn't work in a profession that meant he wasn't at home sometimes.

Something I know for sure is that I can never thank you enough for this and more. You've made me who I am and provided for me a wonderful life. We're friends - you and me. We may not always agree or be on the same wave length, but I've always been proud that you're my mom and grateful that you're my friend.

I love you mom.

I know I still don't know the half of the sacrifices, interrupted work days, and sleepness nights, but I know...as a mom myself now...that you wouldn't have had it any other way. What gift do you give as a thank you for such selflessness?

Eternal gratitude and 'job well done'  are all I can come up with.