Happy Mother’s Day!

To all the women who have sacrificed because they love their children more passionately than possible, you are greatly appreciated and adored. Thank you for being our mamas! Enjoy the sunshine and know you are loved today and always.

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I believe in the unparalleled and fervent love of mothers. A love so bold, so encompassing, and so very selfless that begins long before birth and spans beyond the stiffness of time. Collectively, moms fix the hurt, celebrate our happy, and love outside conditional limits. They are a fierce force of protection eager to guard and give to shape a small life. Sacrificially, moms follow one simple rule: love your children with all your might.

And they do, beyond reason, beyond appreciation, and beyond awareness.
My mama is uniquely very special (a fact- not an opinion). She’s a single parent (the only parent I have truly known), a respiratory therapist, a three-time cancer survivor, a listening friend and counselor, and the most dedicated caregiver. She has tactfully served so many roles over the years, but I have been blessed to know her in a very different context than my siblings: a mom of a child with a life-threatening chronic disease. Particularly, this version of my mom always outshines any standard of exceptional motherhood; the length of her love and the depth of her love are endless.

If I sat down to type out every time my mom held my childish hand at the sight of a needle or decided her own needs and wants were second to my health; for every ounce of anxiety and grief she replaced with comfort and refocus this post would be never-ending. I can’t recall the sum of minutes she has spent hugging me or the many difficult conversations she has endured unruffled so that I could be the blubbering mess. I don’t know the exact amount of money she has dedicated to hospital bills and medication or the number of nights she lay awake with worry. She protected me from the scary reality of my disease and gently handed over pieces and parts of my truth when it was time and I was ready. She understands my limits and still yearns to indemnify them- lovingly, helpfully, and encouragingly.

Moreover, her greatest service is that of the living example she sets by repurposing very ugly moments as fuel to a faithful and fighting spirit. Never needing to craft stories of strength and resistance, she fully embodies those qualities. She is tough and knowledgable, yet gentle and funny. My mom has guided me in recognizing a sincere truth: financial stability, success, and supposed normalcy will never be as valuable as the Godly love you show those around you, the attitude with which you fight your hardest battles, and the gratitude you allow to fill your heart. Those are the important bits to hold on to in this life.

These lessons have been the greatest gift a sicko can learn from a woman who has given everything in support of your life, health, and happiness. I will be forever grateful for the time we have spent alone, just the two of us, waiting for appointments or seeking further healing while enjoying the company of someone you know loves you beyond understanding.

I love you, mama! I know that I was carefully selected to be your daughter so that I could learn to fight like you. Thanks for being my fervent mother, always loving and eager to care.