Dear Mom,

I love you so very much. I miss you and think about you quite often. I know we don’t always get along and I know this is starting to sound rather cliche, but I’m so thankful for all you’ve done. We don’t always agree and how to live our lives and we do things so differently, but deep down, I know you love me.

Through the years you’ve traveled for business, leaving me, my brother, sister, and dad at home for the week, or two, or maybe even up to a month. And it went on for years. In fact, it still goes on. I’m now 22 and I haven’t seen much of you lately. 

I know I’m an adult now, but I can’t help feeling neglected. You weren’t always there for me and you put your career first. It’s okay to do that from time to time, but keep in mind that we needed you too. You might see it as providing for your family, but you ended up becoming the person that brought money home to the family. Well, not exactly. You did a lot of other stuff for us too.

I guess I’d have to thank you because if you hadn’t joined our family when you did, I might have become a drug addict or an alcoholic. I could have gotten into street gangs or maybe became some loner, nerd kid who ends up offing himself. 

It was because of you that we were able to better our lives. There have been many bumps in the road, but in the end I’m in a better place now. And it’d be no use to admit it hurts, however it’d be a lie to pretend it doesn’t. So I’m just going to say that it hurts. Because it does. I miss you mom. I wish we could get along. I wish we could get to know each other better. I wish I could make up for all that lost time. 

I wish we’d agree more and end up liking a lot of the same things. We don’t really have any similar interests. You like to do stuff big and fancy, and well as for me, I just like it to be real. I don’t know, I guess I’m rambling now. 

Either way, I love you and I wish we could spend more time together. You’re down in Orange County for the most part now and well, I’m moving to my own place soon. Dad got a new place and my brother is in Italy now, however when he comes back, he’ll be in school for the whole year.

The rest of our lives will be so very different. I wish that you made more time for us. You always wonder why we never connect unless I’m looking for something, but you don’t realize that you kinda put yourself in that position. You’re so busy, the only time I can really make time for you is when you can make time for me, and typically I need something during those tine periods. 

After all we’ve been through, I just want to thank you for being who you are and saving us from a potential horrible “other life”. It’s because of you why I am able to become successful. I love you mom!

-Matt