A Letter to My Daughter for Mother’s Day

Mother's Day is Sunday, May 11, 2014. As a mom, it's supposed to be all about me, but I thought I'd flip the script and celebrate the reason I've been able to call myself a mother: my daughter. This is my special letter to her for Mother's Day.

Hello Buttercup,

It's Mother's Day again. I can't believe another year has passed since my first Mother's Day; you were so tiny then. You're not a baby any more, that's for sure. You're a big girl now. You can run and talk and are a completely different person than you were just 12 months ago.

I'm so proud of you and so, so blessed to be your mother. That's why I am writing you this letter for Mother's Day. Being your mother has taught me many things. Being your mother has changed who I am and the way I see the world. Being your mother has made me appreciate your Nan-Nan, Grammy, and GiGi even more.

Mother's Day was always an important holiday to me as a child. I remember making your Nan-Nan special cards and crafts (like the one you made me yesterday) to show her I loved her. As a teenager and a young adult, I always remembered to let your Nan-Nan and Grammy know that I loved them and appreciated the way they'd taken care of me throughout the years.

My understanding of Mother's Day is completely different now. I had NO IDEA how hard being a mother is until I had you. Being a mom is the toughest job on the planet: there are always clothes to wash, meals to cook, floors to mop, stories to read, rooms to be cleaned, tears to be kissed away. It feels as if it never ends--there's always something else I need to do, always something I forgot to do, always something I could have done better.

It's hard to be a mother in other ways, too: it's hard to get out of bed at 3 a.m. when your little one is crying and you're exhausted. It's hard to take care of a sick and fussy toddler when you have a cold, too. It's hard to watch your teeny-tiny infant grow up and become an independent little girl.

I never knew how hard it all was until I had you. It's the most difficult job I've ever had, and the most rewarding, too. I really would do anything for you, honey. I love you completely and unconditionally. Now that I'm a mother, I finally understand the value of a mother's love--I understand and appreciate how hard your Nan-Nan, Grammy, and GiGi have worked throughout the years to take care of me and your dad.

I promise to always be there for you. I will always love you. I will always do my very best, work my very hardest, and give my all to be the momma you deserve. You are my favorite person in the entire world, and being your mother makes me the happiest.

All of my love,

Momma

**I posted a video below of a story I read to you often. When I tuck you in to bed every night, I whisper in your ear, "Love you forever; like you for always; as long as I'm living my baby you'll be."**