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Let me start by saying Happy Mother's Day to every mother out there! I think Mother's Day is one of the most important days of the year; it is a day where we take a moment to remove our focus from our very busy lives and show appreciation towards our moms (AKA heroes!)

Because my mom and I have lived together for 15 years, I have picked up many of my mom's characteristics/interests/habits. My mom is no doubt my number one role model, and I strive every day to be more like her.

I thought I should make a list of all the wonderful things I have inherited/picked up from my mom growing up. We learn so much from our moms, and I am grateful for everything she has taught me.

1. We both NEVER give up on something we are truly dedicated about, and we never let anyone get in the way of doing what we love. One example of this is when I decided to take up karate during elementary school. All of the boys would make fun of me at school, saying I was too weak to do karate. However, I didn't let their hurtful words stop me from doing what I love. A week later, I brought in a wooden board I kicked in half for show and tell. (You could imagine their faces!) My mom has taught me that stereotypes, doubts, and hurtful words should never stop me from pursuing my dreams and doing what I love. If she didn't have this mind set, I know for a fact she wouldn't be a host on QVC. I look up to her so much, and I am so grateful she has taught me to never give up.

2. We both value honesty more than anything else in our relationships. The number one thing that makes my relationship with my mom so awesome is that we never lie to each other. She has taught me to be honest ever since I can remember, and the few times I did lie to her blew up in my face. One of the first times I can remember lying to my mom was when I was a kid (probably around 1st grade) my mom made salad for dinner. While we were eating, my mom went to the bathroom, and I threw most of my salad in the trash when she wasn't looking. When she came back, she was glad to see that I ate all of my dinner. Later that night, I was in my room crying out of guilt. I didn't want to admit I lied; so, I decided to not make it a lie. I went and ate the salad; yup, that's right. I ate the SAME salad I threw away. I never told her what happened until a couple months ago. (She thought it was hilarious, but she was proud of how much I valued honesty) Ever since then, I have been 100% honest to my mom.

3. Both of us try our best to block out negativity in our house; it is unnecessary energy and it just brings us down. We rarely have the TV on, and when it is on it is either a Spurs/Saints game or SpongeBob. We have a strict no news channel rule; the news is swarming with negative stories! Some people could argue it is a way of being in denial, blocking out negative things and pretend bad things don't happen. However, we know that being positive is in no way being in denial, and a home should have a happy and supportive atmosphere. I will take this positivity with me when I move into my own home someday.

4. Surround yourself with positive people. If there is one thing I value most that my mom has taught me since I've started high school, it is that you should not surround yourself with people who bring you down. I have struggled with this for years. I have had many toxic friendships, and it has always been hard to just let it go. But after this school year, surrounding myself with people who make me happy has been my number one priority. I'd much rather leave a friend’s house feeling uplifted and happy instead of sad or angry. I thank my mom for teaching me to remove negative sources from my life, and it is a skill I will take with me wherever I go.

5. Love yourself. It sounds weird to say, but it is something we must all learn how to do. Loving yourself is in no way being conceited! If we spend our whole lives hating our appearance or hating the way we are it can be extremely unhealthy for you and others. My mom has taught me to treat myself with respect, because if I don't respect myself other people won't either. If you let people tear you down and fill your brain with negative thoughts about yourself, then you're disrespecting yourself by letting people beat you up. Stand up for yourself; don't depend on others to do so. Love yourself, so you may love others. Surround yourself with people who respect your boundaries, and respect theirs. My mom has always had these beliefs, and I am so grateful she has taught me to do these things.

6. Live in the moment. This is something I struggled with deeply when we first moved to Pennsylvania. I kept dwelling on my old life in Texas, and I always wished I could go back. During my whole first year in PA I dwelled so much on my past life that I was blind to all of the amazing things PA has to offer. Although PA is different from Texas in so many ways, it is an amazing place to grow up; I am grateful that I feel this way now. It took a lot of time to adjust and move on, but I couldn't have done it without my mom's help. She was always there to remind me of how lucky we were, and she would always help me see all of the amazing things this world has to offer. Life goes on, and so do you.

Mom, I'm grateful for your encouragement, because you have helped me to believe in myself. But above all, I am just grateful to have you as my mom, because you are the bravest, smartest, brightest, most amazing woman I know. Thank you mom.

Love, Gabby <3