Love, compassion, sacrifice, courage. These four words describe my mom. Since the day I was born, my mother has been the one constant in my life. She has brought me a thousand smiles, a mountain of laughter, and an endless amount of hugs and kisses. When I was feeling down, she lifted me up. When I was scared, she made me feel safe. I don’t know if many people realize just how amazing my mom truly is. And for Mother’s Day this year, I wanted to shine some light on the incredible person that I call my mom. Because she has and will forever be a shining light in my life.
Growing up, I felt like an only child. Both of my siblings are much older than me. Because of our age gaps, we had very little in common. Not only that, but my father was an alcoholic. Happy memories of him are few and far between. Most of my memories of him consist of him being drunk. But this isn’t about him or my siblings. I bring these things up to give you a better idea of my relationship with my mom. Because for the majority of my life, it has been just me and her.
When things got rough with my dad, she separated from him and raised me by herself. But if I’m being honest, even when Dad was around, he was never a parent to me. Mom took me to and from school. Mom watched every Christmas as I opened my presents while Dad was passed out drunk in the bedroom. Mom put food on the table. Mom worked hard so that we had money to survive. Many times my dad was the reason we struggled financially. He could never keep a job. We lost our car because of my dad. We lost our house. Without my mom, we may have ended up on the streets.
I struggled hard to deal with my dad’s alcoholism. Years later, I realized that part of my anxieties that I deal with still to this day are because of him. But I know for a fact that I would have been ten times worse if Mom hadn’t been brave enough to leave him and give us a better life.
For most of our lives, we’ve struggled to get by, and I believe that’s what has made us so close. At times, it felt like me and Mom against the world. But no matter what, no matter how hard, we made it through. Just me and Mom.
My mom is more to me than just a mom. She’s my confidant. When I need to vent or just need someone to listen, she’s always there. She’s my strength. When I’m scared, she’s the push I need to overcome my fears. She’s the reason for my laughter. I don’t know how many times we’ve laughed. Silly things, funny accidents, just being goofy. My sense of humor comes from my mom. But she’s also my wisdom. When I’m unsure of something, I ask Mom. She doesn’t always know the answer, but one way or the other, we usually get it figured out.
My mom is a beautiful person inside and out. And the more years we spend together, the more I see her for the wonderful and amazing person that she truly is. She is selfless. I don’t know how many times she has put herself before me and before others. She never falters when someone needs help. She’s caring. Her heart goes out to people she’s never even met. She’s open minded. This world we’ve come to know is quickly changing, and even though she doesn’t fully understand some of the changes, she never looks down on someone for being different.
The person I am today is because of her example and guidance. And one of my big hopes in life is that I can make her proud. If I can be even half the person she is, then that’s good enough for me.
So this is for you, Mom. To give to you in words how much you mean to me. To show you just how beautiful and amazing you truly are. You sacrificed so much to raise me, to mold me into the person I am today. And I don’t know if I can ever truly describe how much you mean to me. Because for a love and bond as strong as ours, there are no words. It’s something felt, not shone. And I’m so grateful that God blessed me with a mom and friend as wonderful as you.
Happy Mother’s Day, Mom,
I love you more,
-Danielle
Born in Kentucky, Danielle currently resides in central Florida. She enjoys bringing to life a variety of different characters. One could be a lovable goof who never fails to make you laugh, and another might be a bitter, angry person, who hates the world and everything in it. Humor and anger come hand in hand. Happy and sappy? Not her cup of tea. She prefers the broken and the flawed, because as we all know, no one is perfect.
When not writing romance, you’ll find her laughing at her two dogs as they partake in a constant battle with the squirrels in the backyard. Much to the disappointment of the dogs, the squirrels always come out the victor. Danielle also enjoys coming up with way too many story ideas in the shower, rocking out to the 80s, playing video games, and watching horror movies all year long.