{dear mama}

Dear Mama,

Where do I even begin? How do I formulate enough sentences to express who you are to me, what you mean to so many people, how much I love you?

You taught me all the way from preschool through high school, and you taught me really well, but right now I'm struggling. Struggling to express all of that. 

Mama, you are beautiful. Outwardly you are stunning! Inwardly you are priceless!

For 19 years now I have been watching you. For 19 years now I have been learning from you. For 19 years now I have been loved by you.

I only wish I had realized how wonderful you are and how incredibly blessed I am to have you every one of those 19 years. 

From the beginning of my existence you loved me! When I entered this world, you cherished me. 

You cared for my every need, kissed my (adorably) chubby cheeks, rocked me to sleep, soothed me, wiped my tears, sacrificed sleep, energy and time to make sure I was comfortable and happy.

You taught me how to clean my room, wash the dishes, sweep the floors, fold the laundry, cook dinner. 

You taught me to read, write, and do math. You helped me through the terrible years of chemistry and algebra. 

You taught me the fashion rules and how it is "...better to be overdressed then underdressed..."

You taught me right from wrong. 

You taught me what it means to be compassionate to those around me.

You taught me to think about others and what they need before myself.

You taught me to hold myself and those around me to a higher standard, but to give grace when we fail.

Throughout my entire life, you have taught me so much my dear, sweet mama. 

Watching you live your daily life has taught me so much about not only being a wife and mother, but about being a daughter of the one true King.

You treat daddy with so much love, respect, and honor. You serve him, cherish him, make him smile, encourage him, challenge him, work with him, pray for him, go out of your way to make sure he has what he needs...Watching you be a wife encourages and challenges me to the core. I desire with so much of my heart, as you know, to be a wife one day to a man who I can love and cherish and make him smile., and I pray I can be half the wife you are! Thank you mama, for loving daddy the way you do! 

You show us kids so much love! The way you work long, hard hours to make us sound/look our best. You encourage and challenge us to meet a higher standard, to do the absolute best we can do, no matter what it is. You make sure we have whatever we need, even if it means you have to give up your entire day in order to attain it. You pray for us. You call us out when we are wrong, and encourage us when we are right. You help us work through tough situations. You look out for us, you want to know about our lives because you care so much about us. Thank you mama, for loving us the way you do!

You are a sinner who has trusted in Jesus Christ with her life! You show us love only because He loved you first. You show us mercy and grace when we screw up because you realize your own screw ups and have been given the most amazing grace and mercy from God. You love and praise Him with your words, your actions and your heart! You trust Him in the hard times; with the big and small things that come up, you trust in His sovereignty.  You share Him with us, with daddy, with everyone around you! You point people to our most amazing heavenly Father and praise His great Name! Thank you mama, for loving Jesus the way you do!

Thank you  for the chocolate you bring home for me when I am desperate for that kind of happiness.

Thank you for bringing my mis-matched, totally unacceptable outfits to my attention before I walk out the door.

Thank you for helping me write emails and fill out adult-forms.

Thank you for coming to doctor's appointments with me to answer questions, even though I am totally old enough to do it on my own.

Thank you for thinking of me when you see fresh strawberries at the store and bring home 5 quarts. (WITH whipped cream.)

Thank you for laughing at my jokes.

Thank you for helping me plan and follow through with things that I said I would totally handle on my own.

Thank you for letting me sit on your bed for hours into the night just talking about anything from Chickfila to serious, real life stuff.

Mama, you are one of my best friends! You always have been, I just wish that I had realized it years ago. I wish I were better at expressing how thankful I am for you, how much I treasure and cherish you. 

I have never ever doubted your love for me. I know that you are always there for me, and I appreciate that more than you know! I look up to you and know that I can trust you with anything. I know that I can come to you with any questions or problems and you will do your best to help me. 

It has been 19 years of me causing you trouble and heartache, 19 years of me asking for help and advice, 19 years of me just talking your ear off...and I know that you probably want a break. But at the same time I know you will always be there, ready and willing to help me. (And I'm really glad about that, because I know that when I am a wife/mom years from now, I will most definitely NEED your help.)

Dear mama, I tried. I could probably go on for ever and ever about how amazing you are. Because really, today alone you did enough for me to warrant an entire book. 

Dear mama, no matter how much I act like I don't, know that I WILL ALWAYS NEED YOU.

Dear mama, I LOVE YOU.

Dear mama, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!