Dear Mom.

Since it is mothers day I thought I'd write about just how awesome my mom is. I mean seriously, she is amazing. I would not be who I am today without her.

My dream when I was little was to get a hockey scholarship, even though I wasn't even playing hockey at the time. Infact, I started playing ringette when I was in grade 2 and played all the way through grade 10. Her and my father spent countless hours in cold arenas, chauffeuring me around, and cheering me on. Then, in Grade 10 I decided to switch to hockey and try and get that scholarship. Something most people thought was impossible. So what did my parents do? They encouraged me, signed me up for hockey camps, the National Sports Academy, and never let me give up on my dream. The extraordinary sacrifices, both with their time and money, was taken for granted. Then, with alot of hard work in grade 12 I made the Female Alberta Major Midget League (AAA) hockey team with the Bowness Bruins in Calgary, the first step to getting that scholarship. The next step was getting my name our there, so there I was with my mom making hockey resumes and videos and sending them to every school imaginable. But the work didn't stop there, my MOm became like my personal agent. She called following up with schools and coaches, organized a trip to the states for us check out interested schools, all while I was being an impossible teenager. Then finally, after 2 years, alot of time and money, I was packing up to head to Holy Cross in Worcester Massachusetts to play hockey, and guess who brought me down there and made sure I was all settled in.. my Mom. And I'm not sure I ever truly thanked her for everything that she did to make my dream come true. So, Thank you mom, I appreciate everything you did. I would not have achieved my dream if it were not for you believing and supporting me.

My mom is patient and kind. Understanding but strict. She left her career and committed 15 years to raising me and my siblings. She was always there, through every heartbreak and success. She believed and fought for each one of us and made us feel special. She was the glue of our family, and although at the time we didn't always appreciate family fun nights and no tv during the week, looking back I am thankful for everything she did for us. Thank you mom. I love you. Happy Mothers Day.