Everybody has a mother - a series of cells that comes together from another person to create a new life, an incubator of sorts to hold that new life until it's ready to come into the world. A mother is defined as "A woman in relation to a child or children to whom she has given birth." What everybody doesn't have is a mom, and a mom is a really special thing.

My superhero, my best friend, my lifelong partner in crime, thank you for making a trip to the grocery store anything but boring and one of my favorite things to do. Thank you for sharing in my sarcasm and distaste for most people and most things. Thank you for car karaoke and hilarious Snapchats and making me laugh on the worst days when I just want to cry. Thank you for sending me pictures of the dog and cats, and for not complaining when I bring home a month's worth of laundry (well, not complaining too much).

Thank you for reminding me day in and day out that I'm here for a reason, and always encouraging me to chase that reason down. Thank you for believing in me, especially on the days I didn't believe in myself. Thank you for reminding me that everything, for better or worse, is temporary and there's nothing that time won't heal. Thank you for the heartbeat in my chest and my reason every day to keep it there.

You're a superhero in every way. You have raised two strong daughters in a world that wants to beat us down and keep us quiet, and you never complained. Thanks for fighting for me when I didn't know how to anymore. You were my strength for years when I wasn't sure where to find my own, and that's not something I'll ever be sure how to repay, but I'll sure spend the rest of my life trying. For everything you've sacrificed and all the times you simply loved me, thank you.

Those wrinkles slowly forming on your face aren't the signs of age you think they are. No, those are your badge of honor and bravery and courage, your evidence that you laughed in the face of adversity for years, and never once let it deter you. You're the strongest person I know, and those laugh marks and creases should remind you of that every time you look in a mirror.

They say every person walks through a fire at some point in their lives: some are forged by it and some are burnt up by it. You've walked through the fire and emerged triumphant time and time again, so remember that on the days you need a pick-me-up. The world around me has always been changing, but you never are. In the heaviest of storms, you're the lighthouse that reminds me I have a purpose and meaning. You braved my hardships and your own at the same time, and you never faltered or lost your step. You're truly a superhero.

When I had no one, I had you, Momma. That's something I can never thank you enough for. If the person I am in this world is a reflection of who you are, than you have my word to make that person the best she can possibly be.

To my first best friend, and my forever best friend: thank you.

I love you Momma.