A Little Letter of Gratitude to My Friends and Family

Sometimes when I feel inspired to write, the inspiration comes from things I’ve heard, things I’ve read, or things that have been weighing on my mind. Writing has become a source of self-care, a place where I feel comforted, a place where I can be myself and share what I want to share when I can’t find the right words to say. For this post, I’m writing a letter of gratitude to my friends and family for this stage of life I’m in. I know other mommas can relate, so feel free to share or even copy and paste the letter to send to your loved ones, too.

To my friends, to my family…

One of the hardest parts of motherhood is trying to balance all of the things. To balance caring for the children, the household tasks, managing the everyday little things, working, shopping, making time for the spouse, taking care of myself, a smidge of a social life… one of the things that gets pushed back and forgotten all too often is making time for the loved ones that aren’t right in front of you. That’s you… my friends, my family.

I can’t tell you how often I feel those pangs of longing, of guilt… knowing I need to text back more, to call, to catch up more often, to let you know I am thinking of you, to remind you that I am grateful for you, and to tell you that I miss you.

I’ll remember a funny moment with you, my sweet friend, go to grab my phone to text you, only to be distracted, forget, and miss that moment to share.

I’ll laugh as my daughter cuddles a toy that you sent, my sweet family member, think to take a picture to show you, only to be distracted by something, forget, and miss that moment to share.

So, so often during the days do I think to myself I need to do better, I need to make more of an effort, I need to reach out to remind you that I care. So, so often do I want to share memories with you, to talk to you, to include you in our life. But so, so often do the days pass, the weeks pass, the months pass, where we talk way too little. I blink and time has gone by yet again. The days are short but long. Life is busy. I get distracted by every little thing. My space, my body, and my mind are occupied by the little human standing in front of me and the craziness of this stage of life.

I don’t mean to not reach out. I don’t mean to forget. I don’t mean to make it seem like I don’t want to talk. I don’t mean to make it seem like I don’t care. I am trying to balance all of the things, all of the time, and sometimes the mental load of it all is just too much. Please know that your once-in-awhile text, your Facetime call, the birthday cards, the thoughtful packages in the mail, your message or comment on social media… all of those little things and moments where you think of me, where you think of us… those are cherished moments, and I can’t thank you enough. Thank you for thinking of us during this stage of life I’m in… during the moments where you are constantly picking up the slack and remembering to reach out when I don’t. When I get distracted. When my phone is left in another room. When my mind is too full and my heart is too heavy and I distract myself during moments of free time by absentmindedly scrolling through social media or listening to an easy podcast instead of taking the time to send a long-overdue reply.

I am always loving you, supporting you, and thinking of you, even when I don’t show it. I love reading about the little moments of joy, love, and life that you post on social media. I love seeing your little family grow and all of the wonderful little life changes. It makes my heart happy and full to see you and love you, even from afar.

Thank you for the texts, the phone calls, the Facetime calls… for all the little things. I am so grateful to you for reaching out, for thinking of us, and for wanting to talk to our little family.

Thank you for always making an effort to show you care. Thank you for supporting us, for all that you’ve done, and for all that you continue to do. Thank you for your constant, undeserved generosity. Thank you for being a part of our lives. Thank you for your unconditional understanding and grace. Thank you for thinking of us and for loving us. Thank you for being you.

To my friends, to my family…

Thank you.

I appreciate you.

I really miss you.

I am so, so grateful for you.

Always.

XO, Anna