Happy Mother's Day to all the mamas out there, both young and old, especially my wonderful mom. I wanted to take a moment today to honor her on the blog today. It's not every day that we take time to slow down and show our appreciation for our moms and Mother's Day is obviously the perfect opportunity to do so.

Mom, thank you for being who you are. You are a daily inspiration to me. For those of you who don't know, my dad passed away when I was ten-years-old. My mom raised both me and my older brother from that point on as a single mother until she eventually met someone and remarried.

She has worked as a dental assistant, commuting more than an hour to and from work every single day for the past 45 years. She gives her time, love, and energy to those around her. Case in point, this past year, both me and my grandmother were diagnosed with cancer. My mom somehow managed to juggle visiting me, encouraging me, and taking care of her own mother, all while continuing to work full time. She continues to care for my grandma, visiting her multiple days each week after work and then bringing her home to stay with her every weekend. She is, quite literally, a superhero in scrubs.

She is the person I call when fear starts to creep in and the one I turned to during the most difficult year of my life. She prayed for me every day and never once wavered in her steadfast belief that God would heal me. From the moment I uttered those three words over the phone, "I have it," she has interceded on my behalf when it was all I could do to not completely crumple to the floor.

I know that people say things like, "I don't know where I'd be without you," so often, that it's kind of lost its meaning, so it frustrates me that I can't think of something less cliche to say, but mom, I honestly don't know where I'd be without you.

Thank you for believing in me, for being proud of me, for never holding me to unrealistic expectations, for teaching me how to balance a checkbook, for braiding my hair, for holding me tight while I cried because I didn't have hair to braid, and for being the person I've always needed you to be. I literally owe you everything. I love you.