At the end of my final exam today I called my mom to spill out everything that I had been feeling in the past 24 hours. Nothing that I had to say had much importance, but knowing that I could call my mom, who would patiently listen to my mile-long rant, provided me with all of the comfort that I needed. When I heard the familiar voice on the other end of the phone, I knew that everything was going to be okay.

Being my mother's daughter is the greatest blessing I have received. She has taught me more about life, love, and sacrifice in 21 years than I would have ever imagined to have learned in my entire lifetime. While she may have pushed me hard to get good grades growing up, I would never be where I am today if it weren't for her. She is strong, beautiful, faithful, and would give away her last dollar even if it meant she wouldn't be able to eat that night. I have watched her time and time again give herself in entirety to the people that she serves. In moments where most would be fearful and run away from difficulties in life, my mom has faced them head on with a strong faith and a whole lot of trust. I have seen her put herself in situations that some may call "dangerous" in order to serve others. She has responded to the calling that God has given her, and she has taught me and my sister to do the same. She has faced discrimination, judgement, and heartbreaks time and time again, yet she has still stood strong. She always finds a way to provide for our family; never do our cups run dry, or our stomachs go empty, or do we feel unloved. While my mom is only human, she seems like a saint to me.

My mom is my go-to person to call when life becomes too heavy for me to handle, and she is the first person that points me back to my faith. She is my favorite person to go shopping with at TJ-Maxx, and my favorite person to share a cup of coffee with a dash of almond milk with. She is the person who has taught me sarcasm, cheesy puns, and how to laugh even when no-one else thinks something is funny. She is the person who I love to be driving with on a summer's day, who will blare Dixie Chicks and drink a half-cut tea from McDonalds with me. She is the one that I can count on her to have our secret medicine (Hershey chocolate dipped in peanut butter) at the end of a hard week, and who will let me rant on about school for as long as I need to. I can count on her to watch Baby Mama with me for the hundredth time and quote every other line. She is my constant supporter, my biggest fan, my compass when I get lost, and my go-to person to call during finals week (and any week for that matter.)

I often get told that I remind people of my mom. She has passed down many characteristics and quirks to me and my sister, some of which we both are starting to recognize more and more as we get older. My sister and I joke about how we are going to end up just like our mom, but I know that we both are secretly hoping that we will carry on a pieces of our mom throughout our own lives, and that we will be women as strong and faithful as she is.

So as this week progresses with more finals, I want to thank my mom for helping me be able go to college and for supporting me even when I struggle with classes. But most importantly, I want to thank her answering the phone, for being the person who picks me up and points me back in the right direction in the midst of life's craziness, and who continues to fill me with love. Thank you, mom.