To the kind-hearted women who take the lost children under their wings, you are appreciated. It takes a selfless, compassionate, and loving woman to love children other than her own like a mother should. Here's to the step-mothers, big sisters, counselors, teachers, aunts, grandmas, foster moms, and strong women who love like mothers do: selflessly and compassionately. You are the world changers who know how important it is for people to have support their whole lives even if their past may have failed them. Thank you for not giving up on them. Thank you for not giving up on me.

Nearly five million children in the United States are living without a mother. They lack maternal support, meaning they lack self-esteem and trust in others. Whether through death or abandonment of their mother, they are left looking anywhere for support. The women that are willing to invest in children and young adults without mothers change lives. They are the people that move us. They are the ones who make us believe in ourselves. They are the ones that give us hope and remind us that we are not alone. They deserve to be appreciated and praised as much as mothers do.

Thank you to the women who choose to invest in our education because you see our potential. The endless encouragement makes such a difference. You forget your potential and stop believing in yourself without a mother cheering you on and encouraging you. Teachers and advisers who believe in people and take the time to invest in their education are the catalysts for change. These are the people that are raising up the next generation, who otherwise would slip through the cracks of the education system without that maternal support. They remind us that our future potential is not defined by our past.

Thank you to the women who offer motherly love and advice every time we need it. There are times when all that's needed is a mother's embrace or a phone call to just check in. Sometimes motherly advice is all that's needed to switch a bad day around. The mothers' of friends, aunts, grandmas, and big sisters who are there on the rough days, and the good ones, offer the caring heart that is needed in every child's life. The women who are so willing to do that for children other than their own are such gifts.

Thank you to the women who don't give up on us, even when we are really hard to love. Sometimes it is really hard to love broken people. Step-moms and other mother-figures are so often rejected, yet they do so much. They choose to love and welcome children into their family even when they are sometimes pushed away or not appreciated. These women are truly a gift to children who have lost their mothers.

Thank you to every single woman who chooses to love like a mother. You mean more to that child or young adult then you could ever know. You are making a difference, and you are changing the world. Your love is immeasurable. Happy Mother's Day.