my mom

"All women become like their mothers.

That is their tragedy.

No man does. That is his."

-Oscar Wilde

i was not an easy child to raise. i was strong willed and determined from a very early age, which made my relationship with my mom difficult most days. you see, she too is strong willed and determined, leading to many power struggles between the two of us. as most young women do, i spent much of youth trying not to be like my mom. fortunately, as i got older, i realized that i had this woman in my life who was kind and gentle, strong and determined, passionate and full of life. a woman who loved her children fiercely and would do anything for them, a woman who had a heart so big it was hard not to notice, and a woman who was the worlds best role model. it was then that i realized that i would be lucky if i was like my mother.

sure we look alike, have the same hands and feet. we can finish each other's sentences and have the same funny quirks. we walk the same, particularly when we are walking on the beach. but are we alike in the ways that matter? do i have her strength in times of crisis? her grace? her compassion for others? her ability to stand for what she believes in, no matter if its the opposing view? would i be the kind of mother she is to my brothers and i? i don't know.

but i do know this, my ability to move through life without cooper the past five months is because i am her daughter. she is running through my veins, she is part of who i am and it is because of her, that i am the woman i am today. and i am so proud that she is not only my mother, but my best friend. i love you mom.

wishing you all a happy mothers day.