Hey Mom,

I know you aren't gone from this world yet, but I also know that day is quickly approaching us.

I want you to know a few things:

For starters, I love you. I love you more than you could ever imagine. I hate you're leaving us so early in my lifetime because Matthew and I have just gotten to be old enough to really know how to appreciate everything you and Dad have done for us. I'm sorry I was a bratty teenager who made you cry sometimes. Thank you for loving me anyways. I hate that you won't get to see me get married, have my first child, graduate from grad school, see Matthew graduate from college, or lots of the other "big" life events. I guess you'll have the best seat in the house, though. I hope you look down on us from Heaven and smile every single day. I hope we make you proud. I remember everyone always talking about how lucky I was to have you as a mom and I didn't really understand it until recently. You are and always were amazing. You have lead so many people to the Lord through your walk in faith but you were also the "cool" mom among all of my friends. My friends all loved you. I hope you watch your own funeral and smile because we're having to have it at the church instead of the chapel because we're expecting such a huge turnout! You are so loved. People will remember you forever, for so many reasons. You were the Sunday school teacher, the Bible study teacher, the band mommy, the uniform mom, and the absolute best at the Mommy Dance. I'll never forget when you talked at some breast cancer event and one of my friends came back to school the next day telling me, "wow! Your mom gave the best speech! She is such an inspiration!" You really are an inspiration. Not many people beat cancer three times in a row. I hate that it's what is eventually going to be what takes your life because you fought against it so hard. You did great and your fight wasn't in vain. The parade of people coming in and out of our house these days just to see you and say goodbye is incredible. Their tears are so real. I hope you know what an impact you've had on so many people. You are an amazing person and an even more amazing mom. We love you. I love you. I hope to be half as good of a mom one day as you have been for me.