Growing up, I loved my mother dearly and like any other child, I thought the absolute world of her. She was a fairy, a queen, a nurse, and a chef all wrapped up in one. However, as I became a teenager I was not my mom’s biggest fan. There were many moments where she annoyed me and I wanted no parts of her. I was becoming a woman and as far as I knew she was stifling my growth.
From before I can remember, my mom was always by my side. Even on my ugly, bratty days, my mom was next to me, loving me through it all. I could tell her I wasn’t her friend anymore or that I didn’t like her, but she loved me anyway. She continued to breathe life into me and pray over me. When I needed discipline or chastising, she did so and right after she loved up on me.
There were so many instances where she gave up her dreams to help me live out mine. From dance to cheerleading to basketball to student government association, she encouraged me through it all. And when I was no longer interested in an activity, she moved along with me to the next one. She never wavered. Even with her many talents from cooking to baking to making flower arrangements and planning weddings, my mom put them on the backburner to ensure she could be there for me.
Now that I’m in my late 20s, I have come to see my mother as the greatest woman on the planet. She is the most giving, kind, and hardworking woman I have ever met. There isn’t a thing she wouldn’t do for our family. She never misses a birthday, a graduation, a baby shower or a wedding. My mom is the ultimate supporter. She instilled a number of invaluable lessons in me that I will carry on for the rest of my life and one day pass along to my children.
1. Always give more than you receive.
2. Once you receive, thank you is a must.
3. Be a good person. Be kind, caring, and honest.
4. Follow your dreams and if they change, that’s okay.
5. Work hard and provide for yourself.
Originally published at thoughtcatalog.com