I’m sitting in my room. I won’t be here for much longer, should start packing my stuff to head home for Spring Break. Graduation looms. Life awaits. Plans to be made. The whole lot. Yet, despite all that, I want to take a moment and pause. On the eve of International Women’s Day, I think it’s important to take some time off from my to-do list.

Instead, I want to spend it reminiscing on some of my favorite women. The people involved in moments that shaped me, from the marvelous and momentous to the minute and minuscule— and everything in between. So, here’s my love letter to the diverse, expanding, cocoon of wonderful women I’m lucky enough to have in my life.

Hear me out…

My mom, she’s the type of person who handles every situation with the utmost care. She fields phone calls left and right from my grandma, never sure what she’s going to get on the other end. It could be the chatty, over-zealous version or the blank, distant version or, worse off, the crying version; the one that breaks your heart with her words. My grandma is an enigma. She’s loyal and loving and sort of unstable most of the time. That isn’t to say she’s not strong because she is. She’s just— she’s dealing with things mentally and that’s the way it’s always been. My mom is the one to diffuse the situation, answering the phone every day with a calamity I don’t understand— never complaining or lamenting the how or why. My mom has worked tirelessly to maintain a wonderful, loving household throughout the years. (Yeah, my dad too but this isn’t about him!) She’s dealt with four troublesome kids, worked a full-time job as a reading specialist and ends every day with another obnoxious FaceTime call from me.

My mom is the mom every kid dreams of. She’s the person I count on. The person who is always there. The type of person that draws people in with a genuine smile and a witty joke but doesn’t realize how extraordinary she is. She’ll deflect every compliment thrown her way but is the first to build you up with her wise, wonderful words. I’m lucky to have my mom because without her, life would be dull. I’ll roll my eyes and get annoyed when she tells me to do something repeatedly, but will always, always return her loving goodnight hug. I miss her when I’m away at school and don’t know what I’d do without her endless compassion, sound advice and always hysterical quips.

I have two sisters and they’re the an odd compilation of everything I’m not and everything I wish I was. They’re tall. They’re also expressive and engaging and endearing. They’re two of the best people I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting and I’m stupidly lucky to be in their lives. They’re there to shelter me and guide me and I can only hope I do the same for them. Without Hannah and Jordan, I’d be a lonely sister with just Zack to talk to (While Zack is the epitome of great, I’d be sad without them)— I don’t know life as anything other than being their big sister— and while I don’t feel I’ve yet lived up to that title— I’m trying every day to make sure they know I care. I can feel life changing around me and while I don’t know what happens next, I know that they’re what keeps my head level and my heart full.

My friends. I’m going to be vague here and avoid naming names but… I want to take a moment to thank my friends for being my friends. (I think I have one dude friend so excluding him…) Friends, this isn’t me calling you out or anything, but I hope you know how beautiful you continue to make my life. I’m an odd person who occasionally is a lot to deal with, so thank you for putting up with me. I’ll continue to put up with you all if you promise to drive me everywhere. Thank you for answering my random picture-filled texts and for opening your lives to my prying questions and my trying-to-be-eloquent-but-usually-failing way of giving advice. I’m not doing a good job here—as this reads as more of a litany on why you should avoid being my friend but I hope you know that you mean the world to me. I’m endlessly grateful for you.

I could go on, and I would, but I don’t want to bore you. Sorry for the sappy. Also, not sorry for anything at all. Happy International Women’s Day. Here’s to you.