Dear Mom,

How do I begin to thank you for everything that you have done for not only Francis and I but our whole family? I don't even know. I know you would do everything to help us if we needed anything.

You are there for us when life throws challenges our way and we don't know how to face them. You taught us to be responsible in more ways than one. You taught us the importance of many things in life, like how work should always be the best that it can be and the quality of friends over the quantity of friends.

You have taught me three things in life that I will never forget: your friends and family will always always have your back, the importance of it doesn't matter as long as you get back up, and that if you feel yourself losing any part of you, there is always one thing that will guide you no matter what and that is your faith.

In class I was recently asked to describe my mother in one word as well as one phrase; the word I chose was fearless and phrase was won't stand down. I chose fearless because you embody that word. I chose the phrase don't stand down because you don’t stand down from a challenge no matter how difficult it might be.

Thank you for everything you have taught me in life. You are such an inspiration and role model of how to live your life to me.

Thank you for being you. Thank you for teaching Francis and I different life lessons on this race or journey called life. We will carry these said lessons throughout the race and carry them to the finish line.

I love you.

Robert