With Mother's Day coming up, we take the time to appreciate our biological mothers or women who are motherly towards others. These women are strong, nurturing, supportive, and even wise. I believe our current culture has forgotten what virtues and character make men and women good. Therefore it is important to acknowledge and share about those who do embody these virtues. My mom is one of them and I would like to share what I know about her.

First, my mom is strong and has been through a lot in her life. Way before I was born, she struggled with anorexia-bulimia due to being insecure about her body image. She has always shared with me how much it impacted her physically and emotionally. She also was told by the doctor that due to her past struggle with anorexia, she wasn't expected to have kids. Obviously, that diagnosis turned out to be incorrect, but my mom had to face the possibility of never having children. For her, it was a miracle that she was able to give birth to three sons, which includes me.

Another struggle she overcame was being a stay-at-home mom. She expected to get a job and provide another source of income for her and my dad. It took time for her to adjust, but she said she got used to it after a while. What made it better for her was that she saw that her work paid off in how my brothers and I turned out. She was asked by teachers if she was a stay at home parent since they noticed a difference in my brothers' behavior compared to other kids. This has made her proud as a mother. Later on, she did do a part-time job as a referee, which she enjoyed because of the exercise. She got to earn extra money and do something that she loved.

For myself, my mom has done a lot to support and help me in any way possible. The most notable effort came when she got me to help with my Asperger's Syndrome. When I got my diagnosis, she did not deny it or feel embarrassed to put me in special education in elementary school, have me do speech therapy, and see a psychologist during my middle school years. This took much of her time and I will always appreciate it. If I hadn't done any of those things, I would not be socializing or functioning as I do today.

Finally, she is very supportive and respectful of who I am. Of course, we don't agree on everything, who doesn't disagree on something? And she will definitely give her opinion and be honest about it, which is good because I don't want someone to tell me what pleases me. But she respects my personal views and is open-minded on ideas that I have shared. There is one thing we do agree on, and that is the existence of God and how much He is involved with our lives. My mom can especially testify to it, with all that she has been through in her life. What is better is that she raised me to be non-denominational as a Christian and is willing to say "I don't know" on questions that don't have clear answers. I admire her honesty and strong faith.

I hope that you feel as I do towards your mother. She is someone you admire and appreciate in your life. If not, please know that there are great women in the world who care for and love others as we all should. They are light in the darkness. This Mother's Day, let's show appreciation for those women and give them the recognition they deserve!