Above all, my mother is my role model. I look up to her in more ways than one solely because of how much I watched her go through when I was a kid. I saw her get abused for years, go back to him multiple times because she thought that was what was best, and give up things she loved because she was struggling to provide for her daughters.

She woke up at 6 every morning to take me to skating practice, got my little sisters ready for school while I was there, then came back and got me and took me to school. She sat in cold rinks day after day, on holidays, and weekends. She paid for competitions and coaches and skate blade sharpenings. She put my through homeschooling so I could focus on my skating training and avoid bullies at school. She practically risked her life to teach me how to drive at 14. She drove back and forth from Hanahan to Ladson almost every weekend so I could spend time with my boyfriend at the time. She supported my sudden urge in 6th grade to want to attend Stanford for college. She tried her best to understand my love for traveling.

But most importantly, I noticed she always remained my best friend first, and mother second.

She never didn't gossip or watch Gilmore Girls with me. She never didn't understand my Mean Girls references. She always knew my sass was because I was essentially her twin, and she never didn't jam out to Taylor Swift with me when she came on the radio. I was always the first of her daughters to hear about any "drama" that was going on between her and my biological father. I was also always the first to warn any significant others about hurting her.

After all of this, it's baffling to me that relatives and friends still say I "wouldn't want to grow up to be like my mother."

Sorry, but too late.

My question though is why not? Why wouldn't I want to grow up to be like my mom? She's the strongest person know. She's the one who ran out of our apartment with a tote full of clothes so we could get away from the terror that was and still is my biological dad. She was the one who sold her wedding rings to pay for our school supplies. She was the one who paid for my training and competitions. She's the one who raced to come pick us up after we called crying about our biological dad flying off the handle.

So, the question still stands. Why the hell would I NOT want to be like my mother?

She's the one I called when I failed a test I thought I was prepared for. She's the one was with me when I wanted to kill myself. She's the person who is supporting me on my journey to getting into Harvard, Yale, and Brown. She's the first one I told about my boyfriend. She's the person who got me help for my anxiety and depression. She's the one who never gave up on me or my sisters. Not one time. When he left us, she never did. When he gave up, she never did. When he threatened, she never did. But when he pushed, she pushed back.

...Now tell me that isn't a person I should want to be like.

When her soon to be ex-husband pushed and used scare tactics, she pushed and threatened with facts right back at him. She stood up for herself after all of the times she hadn't, and she made sure to do it in front of us.

I don't think she ever realized that what I took from her and my biological dad's situation, was that I wanted to be just like her. I wanted to be a bad-ass, slightly feminist, selfless person. I wanted to never need a man. I wanted to grow up to be strong and honest and forgiving like my mother is and was. But most importantly, I wanted to have all of the same qualities my mom showed me throughout my life thus far.

But it's not just about growing up to be my mother. It's about growing up to be like my role model and best friend.

The day that someone says "you grew up to be so much like your mother" is the day I know I'll have accomplished the most important thing I've ever wanted to do.