I grew up in a household with two brothers and my mother; my father passed away when I was young and it changed our family completely. Any death is going to change things no matter what -- for me, it made me realize how amazing my mother is and how strong she is as an individual.

I realized that she's my hero.

It may sound corny for a 19-year-old to say their mom or dad is their hero, but think about all the amazing things your mom and dad do for you. My mother showed me what it’s like to be an independent, strong, caring, respectful and passionate person. So yes, my mother is my hero and I think she always will be. If your mother is your hero, then this is the perfect article to read.

She always gives great advice.

My mom is the queen of giving good advice, just like any mom should be! They always know what to say and will tell you how it is. Moms aren’t afraid to be brutally honest (at least my mom), she always wants to be upfront and give the best possible advice to help me. “Why would you want to get that tattoo? It’s very strange. I really don’t like it... so don’t get it,” at that moment in time you may hate her for crushing your tattoo idea, but later down the road you’ll thank her. Her advice is always on point and you wouldn’t want to go to anyone else but her. She's the one you'll go to when you're in dire need of help with a boyfriend, school stresses or friend issues. She's always there to just sit back and listen, she's also there to give you the truth. Thanks for listening mom.

She never sugarcoats anything.

“Sweetie, those pants are not flattering on you... Let's find them in a better size. If your mom says quotes along those lines, again, you’ll thank her one day for not sugarcoating things. I love how my mom never sugarcoats anything in life, whether it's clothes, shoes, or a new hair style -- she never lies about how she truly feels. I like people who just tell me how they feel; this is one trait I love about my mom. She gets a gold star for her honesty! If you're having a bad hair day she's not going to be afraid to tell you about it, or if you look like crap she's going to comment on that too. You may hate her when she says stuff like that, but again you'll thank her in the long run for caring about what you look like at the time. Sugarcoating things in life is something a lot of us do, but we can always count on our mothers to be honest with us, so thank you mom for telling me not to buy those not so flattering jeans from American Eagle.

Her awesome cooking makes you want to be a good cook too.

Like any good mother, she’s an awesome cook. She knows what she’s doing in the kitchen and usually never fails when it comes to making dinner. I’m incredibly thankful that my mother is great cook (I mean if she wasn’t that would really suck), but she makes me want to be a good cook one day for my own family. She inspires me to branch out from just making pasta dishes; she teaches me new recipes and how to make healthy food alternatives. I hope one day I can cook as well as my mother, she does a damn good job and I have big shoes to fill.

She’s always ready to sit down and hear you vent about life.

If you’re a chatter box like me then you’ll completely understand the look your mother gives you when you say to her: “we need to talk.” As soon as those words come out of your mouth she needs to find a comfortable spot on the couch because she knows it’s going to be a long venting session. I know when I want to vent to my mom whether it’s in person, over the phone or through a text she’ll always take the time to listen and give me positive feedback. Venting to your mom is the best thing, because sometimes you don’t want to vent to your boyfriend or best friend, you just want to let it all out to your mom. I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have my mother to vent to; she’s my go to girl. So God bless the mothers who sit down and hear it all, especially my mother because she has heard it all.

She’s always there to pick you up when you fall down.

She was the one in the wings during a dance performance who gave me a high five when that pirouette turn was on point; she was the one who let me cry in her arms after a bad fight with a friend, she was the one picked me up after the death of my father. She’s the reason why I’m on my two feet getting through life right now; she’s the one who keeps me going. We sometimes forget all the amazing things our mothers do for us, they’re always their when we’ve fallen down and they are the ones reaching out their hand to help us up. My mother has picked me up so many times, and I am truly grateful for having such an amazing person in my life that is willing to constantly help me. This is one trait about my mother that I love and appreciate so much, so thank you mom.

Mom, you’re my hero and I love you for that. You inspire me every day to be a better person and you tell me to never give up on my dreams. You are the reason I am the person I am today, so thank you for that. I hope to one day fill your shoes and be the amazing mother you are today to my own children. You are my best friend you are my inspiration and most importantly, you are my hero. Thank you for all you've done mom, and let's never forget to take our mothers for granted, let's thank them every day for being the most influential people we know. Thanks for all you do mom, I love you.