Thank you for being my mom and best friend. Mom, you are my secret holder and dream motivator. You are half of my heart and peace keeper. Thank you for all the tea time and the laughs. Thank you for calming my nerves down and being my therapist when I need it. A thank you is simply not enough for you, Mom. When God created you, He knew our family needed you. He knew that our world needed someone like you and, specifically, He knew I needed you as my mother. Everyone needs a person like you, mom, in their lives. They need someone who is going to love them unconditionally and have a nonjudgmental ear to hear them out. People need a mentor like yourself to turn to for advice. You are amazing, Mom. Thank you for absolutely everything you have done, currently are doing, and will do for me, Mom. I can only pray and hope to be half the woman you are.

Thank you for showing me how to be a good person. You do an amazing job showing me through your actions how to be a good person. Not only how to be a good wife and partner in life but more so, how to be an all around good person. Because we need more of those in the world; genuinely good people. You treat those who have wronged you with respect and love. Growing up, I often criticized you for that and assumed you were being weak. Little did I know how strong that makes a person to choose kindness over hate. I hope I grow into a friend like you, a wife like you, and, in general, a person like you. Thank you for choosing to be a good person even when you have every right to not be.

Thank you for being so raw with your faith. We went through a traumatic life changing event and you were honest about how you started to question God and His plans. It's beautiful how you share unfiltered thoughts and feelings about your faith and how you show us that it isn't supposed to be perfect. Every time you start to get upset with God, you start singing praises and hymns. How powerful! Instead of running away from God, you run towards Him. I have always found your faith in God so beautiful. But seeing your faith evolve now with all the tragedy you have seen, it's moving. Thank you for being vulnerable and open about your challenges in regards to faith and His plan.

Thank you for working hard every single day. When I get a little sick or had a tough day at work, I'm going straight home and closing my door. Mom, you could be sick and you'd still put your hair up and be a complete boss. You continue to work, even when you don't want to. That's the real praise - even when your body is aching, mentally and physically, you still drive forward and work hard for this family. You never take a day off from your duties and it amazes me. Thank you for wearing so many different hats and showing me that a woman can handle whatever job is thrown at her no matter what. Thank you for always giving it your all in every job and situation that is thrown your way.

Thank you for letting me figure people out on my own. Mothers always know whose real from your friend group from the minute they enter your circle. They are ALWAYS right about people. Thank you for saying your opinion privately to me and letting me see their true colors on my own time. I bet it was hard to sit back and let people come in and out of our home even though you knew who would last. What I really appreciate is you letting me come to that realization on my own. It helped me grow and learn about the type of people I need around me and what people I don't.

Thank you for always being in my corner. I have put you through my rebellious stage(s)(sorry), through the "you're my mother, I don't like you" stage, and everything else in between. No matter the stage or how long it lasted, you were always there to pick me back up without judging me or saying "I told you so". You are always perfectly timed and always know what to say and what to do to get me back on track. Thank you for always cheering me on and pushing me to go get the things I deserve. Having you in my corner makes me feel like I can go out and conquer my dreams. Thank you for having my back, Mom.

Thank you for being unconditional. You are unconditionally loving to me. You are unconditionally listening to me. The list goes on and on. Even when it is so hard to love to me or hear me out, you do it anyways. I can come to you with anything and everything and get your advice on it. Many times you look at me with a simple eye roll to express your feelings on the crap I'm bringing to you and that's enough. Many more times do you answer back with wisdom and truth that makes me want to handle my problems and challenges in the most Christ-like way. Thank you for always filling my "emotional" bucket to the rim and more. Thank you for giving me the maximum plus 10 of your love, care, support, and everything else a mother gives her child.

Thank you for being forgiving. What a blessing it is to have at least one person in our lives who is forgiving without condition. No matter the drama I caught myself in or exchange of words in an argument, you always forgive me. You never harbor my poor judgment calls or bring up the past when you probably should/could. So many relationships in life are ruined because people can't forgive one another and move forward without conditions. With you mom - you forgive me, forget the mistake, and move forward. Thank you for looking at me with eyes that aren't judgmental no matter what happened prior.

Thank you for letting me be me. People, in general, are often told who to be; arguably, women are in the spotlight for how to look, how to act, how to feel...etc. I'm too loud and too emotional. I plan too much and laugh too much. Always "too much" of something in someone's eyes. Mom, thank you for letting me be authentically me from a little girl to a woman - no matter my choices in hobbies, how to dress, or career path. I never felt the need to mask my feelings or characteristics because of how you raised me to stand proud. Thank you for teaching me to love the skin that I am in and to not be ashamed of any scars both visible and invisible. You are one of the main reasons I feel so empowered in my skin and with myself today. You have reminded me that I am beautiful, flaws and all. For that, I am forever grateful.

Thank you for being the glue that keeps us a family. Our family gets thrown curved balls and traumatic changes left and right and there you are - smiling and saying that we'll be okay. Just when I think we'll fall apart and diminish, you bring us back to one another. During the dark times and the "I give up" times, you are right there reminding us that together we are stronger. You teach us that being a family going through life together is a key to happiness. Thank you for reminding us what matters in life and to let go of the small stuff. Thank you for being the silver lining stitch in our lives that keeps us together when life challenges us.

For these and all the rest of the reasons I'm so very grateful for you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Mom, you are a rare, beautiful soul that graces our world everyday and I'm so blessed to call you my mother. You radiant a humble elegance that is laced with bravery and faith. To say that I'm blessed to have a mother like you would be an understatement. Cheers to the strong woman who raised me to be unapologetically me.