A best friend is someone you know you can count on to be there for you whenever you need them. They're someone who you know would do anything for you, and you would do anything for them as well. The person who comes to my mind when I think of these things is my mom. Yes, that's right, my mom is my best friend - and it's awesome.

Everyone tells my mom and I that we look so much alike. We also have a similar laugh and the same mannerisms, which I think is funny. We get along so well and the older I become the more apparent it is. I am always so flattered to hear that I look like my mom. I really hope that when I am her age I can look the way she does!

I am very grateful for having a close relationship with my mom. Without her I would be very lost. She has sacrificed so much time and energy to make sure that I am at my happiest and healthiest place. My mom inspires me everyday to work hard and to care for others, and part of why I want to become a nurse is because of her. Although she now is a nurse practitioner and my current goal is to become a registered nurse, she still started off there.

Down the road after a few years of working as an R.N. I would like to receive a higher degree as well and become either a nurse practitioner or a physician's assistant. That journey is not easy, but my mom managed to do it while raising two kids, so what's stopping me?

When I was younger, if I was sick or upset and got help from my mom I would tell her how much I hope that one day I can be as good as a mom as she is. This is still the case, and I know when I have kids I will give them all of the love, care, and energy that I have in me just like my mom has done for me.

Every rough patch in my life has made me a stronger person, but without my mom I don't know if I could have overcome those obstacles. Every moment where I've wanted to stop fighting and stop trying to keep moving forward, my mom reminds me that I can keep going. She encourages me to not give up, no matter the circumstance. I appreciate everything she does for me and I cannot thank the universe enough for giving me such an incredible mother. She has and continues to shape me into the person I am.

Mom, thank you for everything you do. Thank you for being there through all my tears, for listening, and for picking me up when I'm down. Thank you for being my everything and more. I love you beyond words - happy birthday. ❤