As a little girl, I adored my mother’s stilettoes and fancy dresses. I would watch her read novels and put on lipstick. I observed what I thought was her womanhood in the way she dressed, the tasks she completed, and the makeup she wore. While I still adore all of these things in her, I am in awe of so much more.

Every obstacle I have faced in my young adulthood and every hurdle I have yet to overcome she has already conquered. I think we all see in our mothers a sort of unwavering confidence and steadfast contentment. If that were the case, how does she always have the perfect words to say? She struggled in school. She fought with her girlfriends. Her heart has been shattered. She once lost her confidence. There were mornings when she woke up in a dorm without a clue what would happen next. She got so homesick she couldn’t talk without crying. There was probably even once a time when she had too much to drink at a wild college party. You see, she has been everything that you have been. She has done everything that you have done. She has felt everything that you have felt.

When I’m angry over something menial she tells me to pick my battles. When I’m so sad I don’t want to get out of bed she tells me I’m only allowed to cry for five minutes. When I ace a test she tells me she knew I could do it all along. When I fail one, she tells me it’s not the end of the world. When I’m homesick she tells me to come home. When nothing seems to be going my way she tells me the grass isn't always greener on the other side, it's green where you water it. And when I call her giggling in high delight she wishes she was there with me. I take her advice to heart. I believe the things she says. I do what she tells me to do, because as far as I’m concerned this woman knows everything.

When life seems utterly and disgustingly insurmountable, I look to my mother. Despite every broken heel and chipped nail that life provides, a mother’s love is always there with superglue and a fresh coat of polish. The word superhero doesn’t even do her justice. She is more than Wonder Woman ever thought to be. I don’t just say that because she somehow manages to put up with my melodrama, work a full-time job, cook dinner every night, and keep a clean house. I say that beyond the shadow of any doubt because this woman is everything that I hope to become. She has taught me to make every effort towards grace and poise. She has exemplified the true meaning of womanhood. She has done all of this while simultaneously fostering the little girl that still runs wild in my soul. If one day every obstacle that I am facing now, allows me the opportunity to speak to my daughter with such truth and assurance then it’s worth every second. I have no doubt that I will be calling my mother even then asking her, “How on earth did you talk me through this one?”