"Mom,

I am writing you this letter to tell you how much I love you.

There are times that I need to talk to someone. There were times that I needed something. There were times that I just feel like I can't go on. And there you are. You make erything seem ok. I have had many downs in my life, but you are always there to help me get up again. You are a strong woman. You too, have dealt with hardship after hardship. Your husband of 28 years, my Father, passed away and you showed courage and strength through it all.   Nothing gets you down. If you fall, you get back up. That is where I get it.   I have been through a lot, in my short life. I have seen a lot of things change. The one thing that has remained steady was you.

There are so many things that I am thankful for. There are so many things that you have done for me.  I really do not know where to start. I want to thank you, first of all, for being a great mother. I want to thank you for being a friend. I can remember my first haircut. How dad didn't want it cut, and you insisted that I got it cut. I remember riding my bicycle. You were scared to death that I would get hurt. I remember dad pushing my bike, with me on it, and you staring out the kitchen window. Yeah, I saw you there. Didn't know that, did you? I can remember getting upset with you, and saying that I was leaving. It never happened. I can remember your smile through everything.

I remember playing football, and you were in the kitchen at the Booster Club Field. You were supposed to be cooking, but you were watching to make sure I was all right. I was ok, Mom. As I sit here, the tears well up in my eyes, as I can still feel your tender hugs when I did get hurt doing something you told me not to do. I remember your healing hands, mending my wounds from a bicycle accident or a fall. Through it all, you never said, "I told you so!" You just hoped that I learned from my mistakes. I have had to swallow my pride so many times in life, just to head the words that you spoke to me. I did learn, Mom. I learned a lot from you. There are a lot of kids that don't get what I had. That was a mother. There are a lot of times that I think that I have it bad, when I don't. There is no person that can take that away from me.

There were a lot of times that I wanted to run away, move to another state, leave this town, leave my troubles behind. I could never do it. There are things that I just can't let go of, and you are one of them. I cannot run from my problems, for they will only follow me.  You taught me to stand up for myself and what I believe in.  I learned to fight my own battles and fix the situations I can.

 I remember Prom. I remember getting ready, and you told me how handsome I looked. No matter who told me that I looked great that night, your words were the ones that I hung onto. It was so nice to see you smile that night. Your “baby” was growing up and you didn't want to see it, yet you stood there with a grand smile and wished me a good time. I remember standing up there on prom court, with all those cameras going off, and through it all, I saw you standing there, smiling. You know, your being there was the greatest thing. It didn't matter that I didn't get voted prom king, it mattered that you were there, and were proud of what I had done. You have always been so proud of me. You
have never failed to congratulate me when I had done something good. The crown didn't mean anything, but I'll bet the kids who got king'd wish they had a Mom like mine!

Then there was graduation. I can remember what a terrible day that was. There was sunshine, rain, wind and clouds.  With all that, you still had a great party for me. You got the family all here, and that was a great feeling. I can remember standing there, shaking hands with the principal and looking up on the grassy knoll to see you there. A feeling that could never be bought. People often think that money is the greatest thing, but it isn't. To have a Mom like you, that is the greatest thing anyone could ever have.

I can remember starting college. I was scared to death. Just like all the years that a new school year began. I would sit in my room the night before, getting all my papers, books and backpack ready. You never failed to pop your head in, and ask me if I needed anything. You always made sure I had what I needed. You knew I was nervous, yet you never asked. All I had to do was hear your voice, and I was no longer nervous. I knew that if I failed, you would be there to help me get up again. I knew that my whole life. It never mattered what I was doing, I just knew that if it didn't work out, I always had somewhere I could turn to talk about it. School was tough on me. I had a lot of trouble
with it. But, you would tell me to hang in there, and I did. I owe it to you, Mom, you put up with a lot of my crap over the years, but you never made me feel like I wasn't wanted.  Even when I was a teenager, going through the same phase every teenager does, when all of a sudden your parents aren't "cool", or you think that your parents are wrong about everything they say.... even then, you were there to let me know that things were ok. Now that I have become an "adult", I still like to hear your voice when something isn't going right.

When I was about to make a huge mistake and get married to someone that didn't love me, you never told me not to do it. You knew that things would work out in one way or another.  You knew that I loved her, and you always showed her respect, not because she deserved it, but because of me.  I used to think that I had to be WITH someone, to be anyone.  You explained to me that I didn't need anyone, that I can do it on my own.

You were there for me through it all. You were there through the Proms, Graduations, Engagements, Break-ups, good times and the bad times. Now, I have a great job. I get a lot of respect there. I get satisfaction in a lot of things that I never used to.  I am happily engaged to someone that even you approve of.  Life is going as good as anyone could ask for.  We are all healthy, and that is the most important part.

These very reasons Mom, that I love you so dearly. These are only some of the things that I can look back on in only a few seconds of thinking that make me so happy that I had a Mom like you.  Thanks Mom, for being the great person that you are.

I love you, Mom,
Chad"

As you can tell, my mother means a lot to me. So, with that, here are some pictures of the woman I call "mom." Please take the time to view them. Click on the pictures here to see a larger, clearer view. Then, use your borrower's "Back" button to return here.