Sometimes people rail against the stupidity of holidays like Mother’s Day. They say things like “it can be any day of the year, why is it necessary to designate a day for moms?”. While I agree that sometimes the greeting card, candy, jewelry and flower industries market such holidays aggressively (probably too aggressively), it is crucial that we take the time to thank our moms for everything that they do for us. All moms are heroes.

Moms are often overlooked or taken for granted. When I was little, I didn’t question how or when my mom got my costumes made for school pageants—they were always done when they needed to be. I never was concerned or worried about my mom making it to my softball and volleyball games, my swim meets, my tennis matches, or the many plays I was in. I always had clean clothes to wear, hot food to eat and a comfortable bed to sleep in. I had all of this because my mom is Super Woman. She was always there for me.

Looking back on it, I feel guilty. I don’t think I thanked my own mother enough. She worked (and still works) upwards of 80 hours a week. She’s on call for her clients a minimum of 15 hours a day. She hardly ever takes a real vacation because she’s always reachable by phone. She responds to client concerns and crises that arise within minutes, if not within seconds. She works all those hours and yet she is always, always, always there for me. She answers my calls even when she's in the middle of a work crisis. She drops everything to come be with me when I get sick. I truly don't know how she does it.

That’s what being a mom is all about.

I want to thank my mom today and every day. She is truly an awe-inspiring woman. Not only has she worked to crack through the glass ceiling in her career as a corporate lawyer (something she’s succeeded in, by the way) but I always come first. I can’t ever remember a time when I needed my mom around and she wasn’t there. When you’re working hundred hour weeks and you’re divorced and your kid lives with you and you manage to actually be around for your child whenever she needs you: you are a hero. That’s what my mom is: a hero.

Wendy Wasserstein’s plays talk about how it’s impossible for women to "have it all”. She defines “having it all” as having a successful career, a good marriage or relationship with a significant other, and happy children. She thinks that one of those three is ultimately sacrificed when women try to do everything. I used to be enthralled by Wasserstein’s plays and her ideas about feminism and what it means to be a career woman. Now, I realize that her theories are fundamentally flawed. Having it all is not contingent on following a formula. Having a happy, fulfilled life is contingent on what each of us decides that we want out of life.

I hope my mom thinks that she has it all. I’ll admit that I often get stuck in my head and worry about whether or not I’m good enough to be her daughter. She is a tough act to follow. The truth is, though, that my mom never once put pressure on me to be like her. The most amazing thing about my mom is that she wants me to be happy. If being a circus performer made me happy, she’d tell me to go for it with the same enthusiasm as she would tell me to go after being a lawyer or a doctor if that’s what I truly wanted. The kind of support she shows me is unconditional.

Perhaps the best gift I can give my mother this Mother’s Day is my commitment to showing the same love and support she gives me to the people that I love. Thank you, Mom. I don’t know how you did it, but I am so grateful for everything you’ve done for me.

Moms come in all shapes and sizes. They have different hobbies, different jobs, different living situations. The common denominator is their unconditional love for their children. No matter where she comes from or what else she is doing with her life, she is sacrificing everything for you: her child. Being a mother is the toughest job in the world and most of the time it's a thankless one. No mother is perfect. If your mom has made mistakes know that she's doing everything she can to provide the best life for you. Of course she will make mistakes. No one is perfect. You will argue and fight. You won't talk for days, weeks, months or maybe years. She will always love you though. There is nothing in this world like a mother's love. Remember all the lunches she's packed for you, all the bedtime stories she's told you, all the times she's held you while you cried, all the times she's cleaned up after you when you were sick, and all the special dinners she cooked for you. Her love, sacrifice, and desire for your happiness is showcased in each one. A mother's love and selflessness is the most heroic force I've ever witnessed.

I know that my mom is a hero. Your mom is too. Why don’t you go show her that you know how much of a hero she is this Mother’s Day?