This is a little bit of a different post for me.  Typically I’ll blog about beauty or fashion or lifestyle, but today I wanted to talk about something even more important: my incredible mom.  In fact, “incredible” is a massive understatement.  With Mother’s Day coming up this weekend, I decided to take the time to write an open letter to my mom, so really, here goes nothing.

Dear Mom,

I want to begin by just simply thanking you.  You are truly my very best friend, and I’m more grateful for you than any letter could ever express.  For years you’ve stood by my side, and as I’ve grown older, I’ve watched our relationship progress from “mommy/daughter” to “BFFs” and it’s been the coolest thing to witness and be a part of.  

Thank you, mom, for always being my biggest supporter and number one fan, even when I chose paths that weren’t in my best interest.  Thank you for not pushing me away, but standing with open arms, patiently waiting for me to make the right decisions.  Without your constant patience and love, I don’t think I would have been able to turn my life around the way I did, and I would still be feeling guilt over the last four years.

Thank you, mom, for your strength.  I have watched you persevere through more trials and hardships than anyone should have to face in one lifetime.  You stand proudly beside a husband with mental illness, and a daughter with many physical (and mental) challenges, neither of whom are able to work.  You’ve never given up on your family, and work your tail off to provide for us through every physical and emotional challenge you personally face.

Thank you, mom, for pushing me to be my very best self.  For proof-reading every post, taking all the photos of me for me when I started my blog, finding new bloggers for me to follow and new brands for me to collaborate with.  Thank you for telling me to talk to that store owner or go to that networking event, for being part of my silly Instagram Stories, and shopping with me for new trendy items (and sometimes even picking out the perfect things for me to wear when I think it might look silly).  

Thank you, mom, for spending nearly every second of your days off helping me scout new locations, prepping me for photoshoots, shopping with me, and helping me plan out my blog.  Thank you for being the tiebreaker when I can’t decide between two pairs of shoes, for always getting excited when I have a package to unbox, for helping me choose my next pair of sunglasses, and for going to get coffee and macarons with me.  For venturing into our city, even when you were petrified of it at first (and now you love it), just because I enjoyed being there so much.

Thank you, mom, for being the best example of a mother and a wife.  I can only hope and pray that one day I will be as excellent at being a partner to my man as you are to dad.  You’ve shown me how to handle disagreements with grace and poise, and how to love unconditionally – even when it’s not easy (and we both know boys are never easy 😉).

Thank you, mom, most of all, for being the number one example in my life of a woman of God.  I’m wiping tears away frantically as I write this (oh gosh, I had hoped to get to the end without crying, oops) because this is what I admire most about you.  When you’re troubled, you turn to God.  When you’re grateful, you turn to God.  When you’re joyful, you turn to God.  No matter what the situation, you are in constant communication with our Father, and you’ve set that example for me since I was a little girl.  You’re always there to remind me of Who I’m trusting in, and where my strength comes from, and for that, I am forever thankful.

For all the laughs, for all the tears where we’ve held each other, for all the days you’ve listened to me ramble on about superhero movies (by the way, thanks for watching all of those with me) or blogging, or whatever else I’m interested in, for all the boba dates, for introducing me to “your ocean,” for all the late night rants you’ve listened to, and for all the amazing memories to come, thank you.

Happy Mother’s Day, mom.  Here’s to you. I love you to the moon and back again.