Thank you, mommy.
I’ll never forget you."
Weaskedmembers of theBuzzFeed Communityto share the incredible sacrifices their mothers made while raising them.
We received many touching anecdotes that honor the strength of so many mothers.
Here’s what people shared:
1.
“My parents divorced when I was still a toddler.
Some of my earliest memories are of my dad saying mean things about my mom.
My mom never retaliated or said nasty things about him.
She wanted us to have our father and didn’t want us to feel caught in the middle.
greenskull18
2.
I would deliver my papers, then go home and sleep for an hour before school.
One night, my bike was stolen.
She would come home, then get ready and go to work.
She quickly learned my route.
I’m in my 60s now, but I will never forget her great sacrifices for me.”
Anonymous
3.
“Most of her clothes were secondhand, but my sister and I had generous clothing allowances.
Also, my parents paid for our university.”
hannahd41c52c3ee
4.
“My mom worked tirelessly throughout my childhood to give my sister and me more than she had.
My sister is attending med school this year, and my mom will financially support her.
She’s an incredible woman.”
When we were toddlers, she attended community college while we were in daycare.
At night, she worked as a bartender.
I think she only slept when we napped.
A few years later, she managed to get hired at Exxon out of hundreds who applied.
She was one of the few women working at the refinery in 1980.
My mother was tiny.
She was barely 5' and a little over 100 pounds.
As an operator, she did the same job as the men at the plant.
She had to wear heavy fire retardant coveralls and a massive tool belt.
She worked 12-hour shifts for four days in a row."
“She had to work in freezing temperatures and triple-digit heat.
She didn’t complain.
She didn’t complain at work or at home.
I regret just about every complaint I ever made to her.
I wasn’t a horrible kid.
I didn’t know what being a mother meant then, but I do now.
I wish I had known so I could have thanked her and ensured she felt appreciated.
But I do know how much she loved me.”
“My mom made a tradition of cooking our favorite dinner every birthday.
Whatever we requested, she would make.
She gave us the life we wanted the best way we could.
No if, ands, or buts.
In the weeks leading up to my birthday, she worked extra hours and even got a part-time job.
Thank you, mommy.
I’ll never forget you.”
In Indian culture, women aren’t supposed to get divorced, no matter how bad the abuse is.
She gave it all up so she could raise us safely away from physical and sexual abuse.
I am forever grateful that she did."
The weather had changed just before lunchtime one day, and it was pouring rain.
I looked out my classroom window, and my mom was there in her brown coat.
She didn’t want us walking home in the rain.
I’ll never forget it."
“My mom has been there for me in ways no one else has ever been.
However, the sacrifices my mom made after becoming a single parent stand out the most in my mind.
She taught summer school to make ends meet and to help me pay for my college tuition.
There were times when she went without to ensure I had what I needed to be successful.
For this, I am grateful beyond words or deeds.”
“She sold her car for my elementary school tuition.
She always had to find alternative ways to get to work.”
greyblake
11.
“She gave up her career to be a stay-at-home mom and raise us.
Now I know what an incredible, hard-working person she is.”
I was the youngest, a premie, and the doctor said, ‘Don’t get attached.’
My mom chose to keep us all, even though it was VERY tough.
Life got much tougher after that.
I am the only one with children living in the same small town where my mom lived.
mikelaogrady
13.
“My mom said separating from my dad was a NIGHTMARE.
He was a cheater, and when she was finally ready to move on, he wasn’t.
He would beg and plead and basically stalk her.
I remember moving across town, and later, I learned she was trying to get peace.
For years after the move, he made nothing easy for her.
But she taught us to love and respect him.
She NEVER said anything bad about him in our presence.
As we got older and time passed, he matured and became such a wonderful dad.
We never knew of their turbulent relationship.
She handled it well.
He eventually remarried and became a supportive, reliable, caring father and a WONDERFUL grandfather.
I’m sure that was hard to manage emotionally.
Today, my dad is such a significant part of my life.
“I could go on forever!
My dad left while my mom was pregnant and planning to attend school to become a doctor.
She became a teacher instead of a doctor to have nights and summers with me.
I didn’t realize until I was older how much she must have struggled.
She never let me see any exhaustion, frustration, or despair.
I couldn’t do it if I were in her shoes.
I appreciate her hard work so much!”
jeannes “ella91
15.
“She got the person abusing me and my siblings arrested and sentenced to over a decade in prison.
All of this happened barely a month after my sisters survived Columbine.
There was never a question about what it meant for her future.
She jumped into action immediately to protect us.”
smokinace
16.
“When I was 4, my cousins were going on aDisneycruise with our grandmother.
She freaks out even thinking about elevators that’s how claustrophobic she is.
She took me on the cruise and ensured I never knew how much she hated the trip.
She also found a bunch of Peter Pan plushies for me.
I will never forget that core memory and how she set aside her fears for my happiness.”
“When I was a kid, money was tight, but my mom ensured I never knew.
“Her biggest sacrifice was bringing my sister and me to the United States.
She was on her own with $500 in her pocket.
We have all lived wonderful and successful lives here.
I’m very grateful for her bravery.”
They were judgmental and hateful towards us.
That was a huge sin for them.
She also went to work in a factory to provide us with health insurance.
There were no social programs in place then.
She felt WE would be better off with our grandparents.
We would not have been.
I certainly would not have been.
She paid her mother for childcare.
She also paid every household bill except for propane and property taxes.
She bought groceries and clothed us.
She did not graduate high school or get a GED.
She was 33 when I was born.
She was not a teenager when this happened.
She could have made more money doing a few different jobs, but none offered health insurance.”
“She always did what she thought was best for us.
Sometimes, she was wrong, but I always knew she loved me and my brother.
That was never in doubt.”
“My mom is my superhero.
She raised my brother and me without child support and a crappy job.
We always had a roof over our heads and food on the table.
She somehow managed to be fully involved with each of us.
She helped with our homework, attended school performances or awards, and even planned little picnics.
She eventually went on to earn two separate degrees and marry a wonderful man.
I still don’t know how she persevered, but I am truly thankful for everything.”
There were rough times.
Dad had insurance through his medical school, but they had to pay out of pocket for anyone else.
It was hard since I was little, and we had no income.
We were on food stamps because my mom refused to give up health insurance.
Then, my little brother was born and got viral meningitis at two weeks.
The insurance paid $65,000 for that.
Hannah Dobrogosz
Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
