Thank you for being a great example for me.

My family is heavily male dominated and I love them but the women are great role models for me to look up to. They are strong, they are unique, hilarious, loving, strong willed beings, and I am grateful for that.

You have taught me to speak my mind, to stand my ground, to work hard for my success, to set goals, to face challenges head on, to laugh, to change and to be unapologetically myself.

Speaking Your Mind

You tell others when something is bothering you. You don’t sit back and wait for someone to ask you what you want you tell people what you need form them.

You have taught me to say when something is bothering me, to step up and tell someone if I don’t like something and to lean on the people around me and tell them how much they mean to me.

You balance wisdom, passion, attitude and sarcasm in a beautiful combination.

When you hold back it isn’t out of fear of embarrassment, being wrong or offending someone, its because you know that it isn’t the time.

You have been teaching me balance thinking before I speak and being blunt, by not overthinking but also not saying something in the moment I don’t mean.

Standing Your Ground

You don’t back down from a challenge, actually the opposite happens you stand taller. When someone says something you don’t like or is acting in a way that isn’t appropriate you tell them. Strong willed, strong minded, strong spirted women stand their ground.

You have taught me to face a challenge, to pull my shoulders back and stand tall and strong in the face of opposition.

You know what you believe in, you know what you stand for and you aren’t afraid to tell someone who challenges that.

You have taught me to be confident in what I believe in and to stand tall and fight when challenged.

Working Hard

Everyday you work hard. Nothing gets done without you. You have a plan, you set goals, you are motivated and you aim towards your goals.

You have taught me that nothing happens without working for it. You have taught me that I will be as successful as I choose to be and that success will be directly related to how hard I work.

Facing Challenges

You face challenges head on. You don’t avoid them or ignore them. You make a plan then you go for it.

When you face a setback or encounter a failure you don’t sit back and watch it giving up, you move forward. You try harder and you get through it. You use your resources and aren’t afraid to ask for help.

You have taught me how to face challenges and do whatever it takes to get past it.

Laughing

You have taught me to laugh. To laugh at myself, laugh at stupid jokes, laugh in hard times, laugh when I am happy, laugh at the little things and laugh for no reason.

You have taught me that laughing is the way to make it through life. You have a good sense of humor and that has kept you sane.

Changing

You have taught me that it is okay to change. Just because I have been doing one thing for this long or because something is expected of me doesn’t mean that I have to continue that way.

You are doing new things or changing your life and showing me that it is okay to do that an any time, when you are unhappy or when you need something new just change something try something new and go from there.

You have taught me that I am not stuck; that at any moment for any reason I can change.

Being Unapologetically You

You are always yourself. No matter where we are or what we are doing you are fully yourself and proud of it.

I can be dry and sarcastic, I can be a goof ball, I can be compassionate, I can be strong and I can be so many other things that make me me.

You are teaching me to be proud of who I am and not to care what others think about me as long as I am happy with who I am then those important to me will accept it and that is enough.

Thank you for leading by example and teaching me these wonderful things and so much more. I hope you realize the impact you have on my life and I hope to be like you one day.

You have taught me so many things, by what you have said and what you have done in your lives.

I love you - Maddie