Since Mother's Day was this past Sunday, I decided to write this for the woman who gave me life. My mother, Maritza, is a strong-willed woman with a heart of gold. She has worked and strived her whole life to see her daughters succeed in everything they do. After being in this country for almost 40 years, she has done all she can to provide her family with the life she believes we deserve.

My mother came to this country in the early '80s and never imagined being where she is today. She started her own housekeeping business from the ground up and will soon retire after nearly 25 years of service. She became the breadwinner in our household once my father's health began to decline, but that only made her want to work harder. She wanted to push herself to make sure that we were never without anything.

When I was younger, we struggled financially, but my mother became strong and made sure we would be able to attend college without fail. When I graduate, I'm dedicating all my hard work to her. This woman is supportive and helpful and never stops until she's sure we have what we need. My sister and I have pride in her. She is a woman, that no matter how many times she's fallen, she has gotten back up to assure us that she can make it if it means helping us.

"I will always do as much as I can with as much as I have to make sure you have everything you need in life. That's what mothers are for," this quote is constantly in the back of my mind. She gives and gives and gives. My grandmother has lived with my mother for many years and through all these years, I've seen their dynamic and I see how much my mother loves and appreciates her mother, so I know I needed to learn by example.

Mother's Day doesn't do justice for a perfect mother. She deserves the world, even if you can't provide it, you are her world. My sister and I are my mother's world and we are both going to give her everything we have within us to love and cherish her for the rest of her life. My mother deserves to be appreciated every day for everything she has done. Every time she works while being sick, every time she gives us a hug after a long and stressful day, every time she says "I love you" with her actions, she is giving us a little piece of her. It's our job to repay the favor by loving her unconditionally and treating her like the real queen she is.

Happy Mother's Day to the woman who has always been there for me, no matter how bad life has ever gotten. I love you and you are never going to be unappreciated. I am forever grateful to you and there's nothing I think I could do to make any of it up to you, but I'll always be your world and you'll always be mine.