Mom,

As a little girl, I would memorize the sound of the garage door opening and your car door shutting, and it was the best sound ever. To me, that meant my best friend was finally home, and I could continue to be your "shadow", as you would say. As the years went by, nothing really seemed to change. Saturday mornings were spent watching What Not To Wear and talking about anything and everything. Now that I am eighteen, I can still confidently look back and say nothing is different, you are still my best friend. But beyond that, you have given me so many intangible gifts, lessons that I can appreciate and apply to my life forever.

First and foremost, Mom, you have taught me to see the light in a situation that may be very dark. You taught me that sometimes life will throw some awful things in my direction, and it's all about how I choose to handle it that will determine the outcome. I hope to handle things the way I have watched you do so, with dignity and grace. You taught me how to take a bad day and make it into a good one, regardless of what may be bothering me.

Second, you taught me how to be strong. You taught me that regardless of my response to an unfortunate situation, sometimes things just suck. Instead of letting me sit around and pout, though (which I was very good at), you taught me that if I cannot change it, that it may be more beneficial to let it go. This came in handy in numerous occasions just within this past year, and your advice allowed me to rise above the circumstance.

Third, you taught me that it is okay to cry. You joke about it, actually, every time I catch you crying to Grey's Anatomy re-runs. Beyond soap operas, you have shown me that emotions are natural and trying to fight them will solve nothing. It is okay to not be okay sometimes, and thankfully, you have always been a shoulder to cry on.

Beyond these lessons, you have taught me what it looks like to be a happy, powerful, and beautiful person despite what life may try to throw at you. You are my role model, inspiration, and hero. If I didn't have you, I wouldn't be the person I am today.

Thank you, Mom, for being my best friend. You always take the time to read my writing and appreciate my passion, so this one is for you. Happy Birthday, I love you.