To the Moms of USG Students,

Thank you for sticking by us in this unpredictable, draining, ridiculous year. It hasn’t been easy to be a student during The Quarantine, and having someone in our corner makes all the difference. And, to the moms who are watching someone graduate tomorrow, don’t worry. They may not be babies anymore, but they’re still your babies.

To the Students who Are Moms,

Thank you for showing your children what a role model looks like. I don’t know how you manage it all, but you do it anyway and I greatly admire you for that. Thank you for teaching resilience, drive, and responsibility.

To the Faculty and Staff who Are Moms,

Thank you for doing your best to give us the same quality of education that you would want for your children. Sometimes, it’s hard to establish a connection with students virtually, but we see you trying anyway. I promise.

To the couples made up of Mom #1 and Mom #2,

Thank you for showing your children that who they are is okay. Not just okay, but wonderful. Thank you for teaching your child what self-acceptance means and what support means all at once.

To the Mother Figures,

This one goes out to the grandmas, aunts, considerably older sisters, and beyond. I know that not everyone has a mom, and that your relationship may look completely different. So, thank you for showing that different can work just fine, too.

To the Dads,

I see you, too. Maybe you see yourself as mom and dad rolled into one, maybe you’re with another guy and being “the mom one” is too heteronormative, or maybe your situation is completely different. Either way, you love your family. I’m sure of it, and so are they. So, thank you for the love, however you define it.

To Those for whom “Mom” is Too Gendered a Term,

Thank you for showing that family is not defined by binary.

To Those For whom Mother’s Day is, Emotionally, Really, Really Hard,

You can get through this, and you don’t have to be perfect while you do it. Whatever you’re going through, you have more support than you might know. Thank you for doing your best.

Finally…

To My Mom,

I love you much more than I could fit into a blog post. Thank you for everything. Happy Mother’s Day from Smidge.