One of the things that has been consistent in my life is that my mom has been there for me, through thick and thin, and honestly, I can say that without her I wouldn't be here if she hadn't intervened in certain moments in my life. She has taught me how to be more open about what goes on inside my mind, and has taught me several other things that have helped me and my brother throughout our entire lives.

1. BUILD A STRONG FOUNDATION

One of the things that my mom has taught me was to build a strong foundation of supporters that will be there for me through thick and thin. While there are people who will only be in my life for a season or two, having a strong foundation laid down to have the long term relationships, whether they are friend wise or even intimate, is extremely important.

2. DON'T BE AFRAID TO REACH OUT FOR HELP

My life has certainly been eventful, especially in the wake up my mental health issues throughout my entire life. Those who are close to me know that I deal with a lot and tend to keep things bottled up, especially since I'm a pretty private person, however, my mom has encouraged me to voice my concerns, and to reach out to loved ones for help, even if it makes me feel uncomfortable to open up.

3. EMBRACE MY QUIRKINESS

Without a doubt I am the definition of being the female version of my dad, and my mom will be the first one to admit to anyone that asks. But she doesn't want that to ever change, because just like my dad I like to pull jokes on her, make her roll her eyes (even at almost 30 years old), and do crazy stunts that have caused her to officially never question anything that I do.

4. BEING BEST FRIENDS WITH YOUR MOM IS COOL

In the early 2000's a show titled, Gilmore Girls aired and my mom and I were there to watch every single episode together, with each time we watched it, we realized that being best friends with your mom is actually pretty cool. Growing up she was mom first, and now as a full grown adult, she has become one of my best friends that I can run to when I have good or bad news, she was actually the first person that found out about signing to a publishing company six years ago. She is my biggest advocate, and fan, to be honest, I think she is pretty awesome too.

While we are going to have our disagreements, and will not see everything eye to eye, we are going to be close and no one could ever break us apart. She had me when she was still a teen, and while it was rough for her, she made it work, and did whatever she could for my brother and I, and honestly, I am so proud of the person she has become. If I could be half the woman she is, then I am the luckiest person on the face of the planet.

Love you, mom.