In the midst of all the chaos in my life, I always have one person in particular to fall back on; my Mamae, or rather mom. She is one of my best friends and better yet, someone I aspire to take after in mindset, work ethic and kindness.

With each lesson in life, I have learned a lot about myself and who I want to be. There are certain factors or experiences that I have had that obviously impact the person I am becoming. But with that being said, there is also this tremendous influence of my mother's presence that speaks to me each day, reminding me of the admirable qualities I intend to have. She honestly provides such a heavy significance on the kind of adult I would like to grow into for she is selfless and works tremendously hard for all that she has. Not to mention, her humor and charm are extremely profound characteristics that make people fall absolutely in love with this amazing woman. The reason I am so inspired by my Mamae (the Brazilian word for Mom) is because she has such a sense of self and knows exactly what she wants. If ever facing conflict or disagreement, she speaks her mind. Not only is she honest, she is righteous towards all others. With that being said, there is not one instance in which she shies away from injustices. In her eyes, all people deserve the same respect and amount of kindness, which is one hundred percent true.

Throughout my first year in college, my mother has been there for me immensely. From the first day I moved to the city of Boston to my last month or two of school, my Mamae has provided such great insight. The thing about her is that she doesn't choose my side. As previously mentioned, she is honest, so she sets me straight when I am in the wrong and gives me a greater perspective than just my own. As she once said, "You are no greater than anyone else, but no one is greater than you." To be honest, this pertains to all of us. From this statement I believe it is important to remember that we are all human beings, therefore we are all different. We need to keep in mind that we are indeed amazing and should have self love, but remain humble in a sense that we accept all others. Ever since hearing this bit of advice I have remained loyal to it because I completely and wholly agree with what my mother is saying.

In hindsight, I do love my mom. That's just a given. But most of all, she is my best friend and definitely a figure in my life I look up to. Just for that... thank you.

Para Mamae: Eu te amo mutio! Saudades e beijos <3