mom.

here's one of my favorite pictures of me with my mom. i looked a bit younger than i do now and i definitely had better hair :) but it's still how we look now, mostly. she still does that cute nose-wrinkle thing when the sun is in her eyes and i think in general, she can be one of the cutest people i've met, ever.

as long as i can remember, people have been exclaiming that i look exactly like her. and probably due to my extreme stubborn, independent, individualistic nature i've been fighting that statement with all i've got for... oh... about 27.5 years. :) sigh. why can't family relationships be less complicated? as much as i know that she's awesome, our relationship is definitely not perfect. however, the older i get the more i realize how many things i value that i got straight from that lady who i call mom.

she's creative, she's quirky. she constantly observes beauty in unique places. she loves birds, and other animals, and kids, and all kinds of people. she's caring and nurturing, a good listener and talker and she tries her best. also, she's got the best laugh i've ever heard in my entire life.

happy mother's day, mom. and happy mother's day to you out there who have or do or will oneday give great hugs, only let them have sugary cereal on vacation, and really be there for the heartbreaks and hard knocks of life- to make them a little less less challenging. thanks. you are of such value.