This post is dedicated to the most wonderful mother in the entire world, from the most proud daughter there could ever be!
Today is Mother's Day! It is a day to honor your mother, do something special for her, and remember all the sacrifices she has made for you. Until the last two years, when we lived in Philadelphia, I had never missed spending a mother's day with my mom. I typically took that for granted. Every year, without question, on the second Sunday of May, I would be spending the day with my mom. I often times found myself taking for granted all the time I am fortunate enough to spend with my mom. I took for granted that she is without a doubt one of my most treasured gifts in life!
That all changed on the morning of January 27! I promised myself that if she would live through the day, I would never take a minute that I spend with her (or any of my loved ones) for granted. I have kept that promise.
Today was an extra special day because I think of how different today would have been for us had things gone differently a few short months ago. My mother is the most incredible, honorable, courageous, loving, caring, admirable, sincere person I have ever known. She has been so supportive of me since the day I was born. She never missed an activity I participated, an opportunity to be involved at any of the schools I attended or a chance to volunteer in any of the clubs or organizations I am or have been affiliated with. We often joke, although it wasn't a joke because she never said no, about how when I was growing up, whenever we needed a volunteer; whether is be a driver to Calexico, a person to chaperone us picking apples, an adult to stay up for 24 hours and sleep in a tent on the football field, the official taste tester during our cooking phase (which was short lived for a reason), the mom that would take us to the amusement park when no one else would. Our house was always the one where all my cousins wanted to be, too. She was the host of all the parties, big and small, and embraced the open door known as our front door where our friends would enter and were always welcome. She was "the cool mom!" She was the mom that everyone wanted to have and I was the lucky one!
My mom is someone I have always looked up to and admired. She has endured so much in her life and still managed to be the best mother, wife, friend, and grandmother that has ever been. She is without a doubt the most selfless person on this planet. She has always put those around her ahead of her and has bent over backwards to make people happy. She has the purest heart that has ever existed. She is loving, she is kind, she is everything good in this world.
I have come to realize over the past few months that I am not the only one that feels that way. It has been incredibly humbling, almost surreal, to see how many people care about the real Elaine. She has truly touched the lives of every single person she has ever met. She brings out the best in people and makes you want to be a better person.
I feel so lucky that I know I could fill an entire book talking about the fun things we have done, the countless ways she has changed my life, her endless list of attributes, the things big and small she has done for people. She truly defines the phrase, "to know her is to love her."
People often say, "I don't know how you are doing all you are doing right now." For me, or any of us, its not work at all. It really is an honor and a privilege to give back to someone that has spent her entire life taking care of us. Given the situation that is what it is, there is no place that we would rather be, and that is taking care and helping the greatest woman that has ever walked the face of the earth!
Mom, I honor you every day and there is not a single day that passes that I am not grateful to have been blessed with the world's greatest mom. These past few months have been some of the most challenging you have ever faced. You have handled them with so much grace and so much courage. You have done what very few, if any, could ever do. You have met this challenge head on and you are beating it. I am so proud of you and so proud to be your daughter! I love you with all of my heart and will forever idolize and adore you. I thank you for being the incredibly special person that you are and the person I am privileged enough to call mom and my best friend.
Happy Mother's Day!
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