I’d like to do a shout out to my mom (and moms everywhere for that matter).

I had a lovely 45 minute conversation with my Mom on Friday. Over the last year I feel like I’ve met my mom for the first time… as a person, not as a “mom.” In the last year, I’ve learned more about her and her story than I did in all the years of living under her roof. I’m still just getting to know her.

Most of what I know still has to do with my own story, but who was she before then? Who was my mom before I came along and consumed all her energy and time? Forget, for a moment, the exhaustion that my brother and sister added to the mix.

I only have to step inside of any grocery store to see that having kids must be exhausting. We’re manipulative, sneaky, and emotional. And we never stop moving – and I’m not just talking about toddlers. I’m talking about teenagers. Mom, I’m sorry about that one time, when I was 14,  when I pretended to run away by hanging sheets out the window… but then actually hid in the closet. I’ll own up. That was shitty and immature. But hey, I was a teenager. Being immature is a right of passage for teenagers, and mom: thank you for putting up with that.

Putting all jokes aside, over the years my mom has taught me about love, about sacrifice and about standing up for what you believe in. Because of her I have learned the value of patience, honesty and empathy. Most importantly, I’ve learned what it means to be resilient. I’ve learned what it means to never give up on yourself, because, even during our darkest days, my mom never gave up on herself. She always knew that there was a light at the end of the end of her tunnel (because we didn’t even know there was a tunnel), and I knew that as long as I could relax with her, after a hard day in middle school, and watch Air Farce or This Hour has Twenty-two minutes, that everything would be okay.

Mom, thank you for making the hard decisions (especially when you didn’t know if it was the right decision), and thank you for breaking the rules sometimes.

I’ve never forgotten the day when you taught me how to give the middle finger. I still learning how to stand up for myself, but I know that all I need to do is look in your direction for a shining example of a person who doesn’t accept bullshit as an answer, and who confronts disrespect and ignorance with a semi-clever comeback (but let’s face it, you’re better than me).

Thanks for everything mom. I love you.

Share this youtube video about the hardest job in the world, and put a smile on your moms face.