Safety has always been my biggest priority.
I think maybe that’s why I slept in your bed
until I was eleven.
I knew that no matter what happened,
you would always be there to wrap me up
and tell me that everything would be okay.
Your love for your children is the purest
kind that I have ever experienced.

When Dad left, you were all I had in this world,
and although you needed time to figure it all out,
you fell into the role of a single parent gracefully.
You picked yourself, both your daughters, and a baby
off the ground and built a beautiful life for us all.
You sacrificed more for us than I can begin to imagine.

I know I don’t say “thank you” enough.
I think if I said it every day for the rest of my life,
it would never be enough to capture how truly
grateful I am to have a mother and role model like you.
You are the embodiment of selflessness,
and I am forever amazed by your strength.
Being raised by you was the greatest privilege.

Every time someone compliments me, I tell them
“I get it from my mama” because everything that you
passed on to me, is something I am beyond proud of.
And I know you’ve wanted me to write a poem about you,
but it’s a struggle to find the perfect amount of words
that I can use to describe how much you mean to me.
I hope this is a good start, though.

I love you more than I have ever loved
anyone or anything else in this entire world.
From the moment I came into existence,
you loved me unconditionally and became my biggest fan.
You have molded me into the best version of me,
and you have truly built me from the ground up.
Thank you for being a mother that I am proud to call mine.