To my mother, best friend, confidant and sidekick, I owe everything I am today to you.

I thank God everyday that he chose you to be my mother because everyone deserves a mother like you. You are selfless, loving, beautiful, strong, fun and so many more things that if I list them all I would be here for days.

“I love Val,” is what everyone says when I talk about you. Yes, I tell everyone about you. From your jokes to the times we spend together, you come up in my conversations more than once a day. Now that I am in college, I don’t get to see you everyday and there are so many things I miss about you. I miss your homemade meals, our weekly t.v. viewing parties of two and our shopping trips. I miss you waking me up in the morning and always knocking on my door to wish me goodnight. The good morning and goodnight texts just aren’t the same. I miss hearing you laugh over silly things and I really miss you doing my laundry. But most of all, I miss you.

Things have happened throughout my life when I didn’t think our family could move past them. Deaths, struggles and losses have shook our family over the years and you continued to prove how strong you are. Not only were you strong but you taught our family how to be strong. You fight for everything you want and you would do anything for anyone you love, I have seen it first hand. It kills me to see you upset or to know that you feel defeated but you continue to amaze me with how resilient you are. I get my strength and ambition from you. *Oh and by the way, that was for everyone who has screwed my mom over, just letting you know that you made a huge mistake… hope you are realizing that now.*

Your incredible strength and big heart are only two of the things I love about you. While there are so many other things I love about you, I would have to say my favorite thing about you is how real you are. Whether we are watching a reality tv show or are in the supermarket, you have no problem telling someone like it is. I definitely get my personality from you. I love how I can tell you anything and nothing is off limits between us. It kills me to know that there are people in this world that cannot run to their mother for advice or for a shoulder to cry on because I know I have you. I love when we sing and dance around the house to Prince, Michael Jackson and Celine Dion. I love your beautiful smile and I love how you love me unconditionally.

I am not always the nicest person to you and I hate myself for it. I hate making you upset or mad. I hated leaving you for college, but I hope I am making you proud. While away at school I realized how much you prepared me for this stage of life without noticing it while it was happening. You have set the best example on how to be independent, beautiful and brave. If someone compliments my actions, my response is always “I get it from my momma.” You have taught me so many things in life and whether it was boy advice or how to make chicken cutlets, I will take everything you have ever taught me wherever I go.

You hold the biggest piece of my heart and I cannot wait to give everything you have ever given to me, back to you. So here is to my absolutely incredible mother. Thank you for being my mommy and for being my role model, biggest supporter, duet partner and most of all, my best friend. If I am even half the mother you are one day, I will consider myself successful. No one compares to you. I love you more.