Being raised by a single mother was an honest blessing and it made me into the person I am today. I was taught to be humble, selfless, caring towards others, and independent. My mother went above and beyond in supporting me in whatever I did. She was the first person to show me what true love really means. For many years it was just her and I against the world. We were (and still are) a team — although she is definitely the stronger player and my personal pick for MVP. I have learned so many valuable lessons from my mother simply by observing her actions and decisions over the years. She showed me the value of hard work, being gracious, and never taking any sh*t from anyone. She taught me how to be organized (although I still struggle with that) and always pushed me to reach my fullest potential. My mom taught me that we do not need to depend on a man under any circumstances (i.e. shoveling the driveway after a massive snow storm, mowing the lawn, and killing all of the spiders for me — seriously thanks for that ma). Oh yeah, my mom doesn't just talk to the talk, she gladly walks the walk — and does so in heels. My mother has both directly and indirectly taught me so many important life lessons that I will someday (hopefully) teach to my kids in the future.

For all intents and purposes my mother is an actual superhero in my eyes. That sentence was an understatement — but I honestly cannot think of a better or more accurate word to describe her. Growing up, I watched as she made countless sacrifices and worked two jobs in order to make sure I had everything I needed — clothes, a cell phone, school tuition, countless concert tickets, etc. I watched as she faced many setbacks which often times seemed as though she was constantly being dealt a bad hand. Despite all of this, my mother overcame the struggles she faced and still continues to do so. What I think makes me the most proud to call her my mom is that she did all of these things with a smile on her face. Never did I hear her feel sorry for herself or ask for help. Her complete independence and fierce motivation to tackle any situation that life throws at her has always inspired me and when someone asks me what I want to be when I grow up the answer will always be "my mom".

Since my mom is my biggest fan, I know that she is reading this article right now. And if I know anything about her, it's that she is very emotional and most likely started crying about three sentences into reading this. So mom, what I am really trying to say is thank you. Thank you for absolutely everything you have ever done for me over the years. Although it may seem as though your actions go unnoticed, I can assure you that is not the case. You are and have always been the most influential role model in my life, and I sincerely hope that I will grow up to be half the woman you are some day.