My mother has been my rock for as long as I can remember. As I get older I find the thought, “what will I ever do without my mom?” creeps into my head more and more often. Then I find myself reflecting on all of the things I do in my everyday life that I got just from her. This is how I know I was raised by a strong, beautiful, and independent mother.

1. You Know How to Live Independently

You know you aren’t a “damsel in distress” waiting for your prince charming to come sweep you off your feet and carry you away to his castle. You are fully capable of living a happy and healthy life without having to share it with someone else 24/7. You can change a tire, mow the lawn, cook dinner and do laundry all without breaking a nail. You are more confident because you know you don’t have to rely on anyone to help you.

2. You Don’t Take Anything for Granted

You take the good with the good and the bad with the bad because you’ve seen first hand the hardships that your mother has endured, and you know that when life throws you a curveball, it’s only because something better is on the way. You’ve been there at your mother’s highest and lowest points whether you realize it or not and that has made you a better person.

3. You Know What Unconditional Love Is

Your mother was always the one taking care of you and losing countless hours of sleep when you were sick growing up. She was the one that would come home after a long day at work and cook dinner for your family, all while not mentioning how tired she was. She was the one who would check in on you long after you went to bed, just because she liked to watch you sleep.

4. You Can Create Your Own Happiness

You don’t sit around watching other people have fun. When you are feeling down and out, you get up and join the party. If there isn’t a party, you start one. Your mother always taught you that life is going to pass you by whether you want it to or not, so you better make the best of it.

5. You Know She Always Has Your Back

Even when no one else does. She was the one who spotted your bad friends before you did and told you that they would end up hurting you in the end because she had been through it before. She’s the one who you could count on when it seemed like your world was crashing down, and she taught you how to come back up from your rock bottom.

6. You Know the Importance of Family

You have seen your mother get into arguments with her family your entire life, yet she always makes up with them. You have seen your mother be the bigger person dozens of times and walk away from a situation, when you know in the back of your mind that she wanted to say something she’d regret later. She taught you that nothing is more important than the people that would sacrifice their own lives to save yours.

7. You Know the Value of Honesty

Your mother is the one that taught you the difference between right and wrong. Because of her, you know how important telling the truth is, even if it seems like it’s the hardest thing you have to do.