From the moment we come into this world, wailing and crying as eight pound creatures bundled in infinite charm, we experience the feeling of home in the company of one extraordinary individual. Her eyes are your mirror, reflecting an abundance of warmth in an uncertain world. Her kind compassionate gaze encourages you when you struggle with the alphabet: L-M-N-O-P-Q-R-S-T…finally!…and there she is, with her warm, compassionate smile that encompasses all the glory of this world.

She cries tears of joy when you first call her name and asks you to repeat it, for she can hardly believe her ears. Her arms are your armor, yet her hand shivers when she wipes your tears. Most days she’s your biggest cheerleader, on some she’s the honest critic but every single day of her life, she’s your biggest fan.

She’s the lone, irrational voice that believes you have the power to beat all the odds. In the face of adversity, she’s your shield. Her heart swells with pride when you cross important milestones and her sixth sense tells her something is amiss when her child is in distress. She’s omnipresent, for she lives in your reality and for some, forever in your heart.

And then we grow.

Seemingly, we have time for everyone but our mothers. We leave her behind as we step out into the real world, with the very tools she equipped us with. We march ahead, prioritizing everything and everyone, often forgetting that it is only a mother who stands right where we left her, in that place of unconditional love, always willing to open her arms when we need her the most. We learn reciprocity through friends, respect through elders and obedience through teachers, but it is only through a mother that we witness what it is to love someone more than oneself.

We forget to say I love you so much. We forget to say thank you for all that you do, not today, but everyday. It is often said that if you don’t love yourself, you cannot love someone else. I, for one, would like to make the case that respect is an important precursor to love. To all my peers, if you do not first respect your mother, you certainly don’’t love her.

Giver of life. Keeper of soul. Beacon of hope.

Three phrases, infinite adjectives and the feeling of unconditional, unparalleled love: such is the presence of a mother! We often forget that our mothers had a life before us: hobbies, desires, goals, etc. We become so accustomed to being the sun around which Planet Mother revolves that we take for granted the sacrifices she makes, those that entail giving us a better life than the one she has led. This Mother’s Day give your mother that which will fulfill her deepest desire: Does she want to travel? Does she want to go back to school? Does she want a few moments of your time?

Isn’t it sad how we spend a day on her and she spends a lifetime on us? This Mother’s Day celebrate the magnificence of your very own angel!