My mom is an amazing woman. 
 
She has been by my side as my biggest fan and supporter for 40 years.  Her daily encouragement and prayers helped me succeed in law school and become an attorney. 
 
My mom is incredibly strong and brave.  She is an eleven year breast cancer survivor.  She has taught me to never give up.  
 
She is kind, loving and dedicated.  She is loved by many. 
 
Not only is she the best “mother” anyone could ask for, she is the best “grandmother” to my three children. 
 
I can only hope to be as influential in my own childrens lives as she is in mine.

My mom has been a great role model for me because she taught me how to enjoy life by showing me throughout my life.  My mom worked constantly during my childhood to provide the best care for both my sister and I.  Although she worked hard constantly, I remember my mom always had “girls” time with us and made summers special even though we weren’t going away for vacation.  Our family never got to travel much during my childhood but we would talk about places or watch movies that take place in a foreign country.  Now that both my sister and I have grown up with full time jobs; we are able to treat our mom to wonderful vacation places.  I took my family to Barcelona, a place where my mom has always talked about amazing architecture. I couldn’t believe I was able to treat my mom back to something she’s always deserved! Seeing how happy my mom was to enjoy the trip with her family was pure happiness for me.
 
I have attached a photo of my mom and I in Barcelona; being a total tourist using a public fountain
 
Mabel

My mother, Ofelia, has never had an easy life, but she has never complained.  She has always found the silver lining in any trying situation and kept a positive outlook.  When she was a young girl, her mother, my grandmother had to make the biggest sacrifice imaginable…she had to send her to live in the United States with complete strangers because Fidel Castro had taken control of Cuba.  My mother and her older sister were sent to live at a boarding school in Illinois through the “Operation Peter Pan”.  They knew no one and didn’t know the language.  They had to learn to eat strange foods like apple pie which my mom refused to eat every day until the last day she was at the school.  She tried it and cried because she had refused it for a year!  Today it is still her favorite dessert.  It would be a year before my mom and aunt would be reunited with their mother.  Eventually they moved to Jacksonville, Florida and finally to Miami.
 
My mom has always been a hard-worker.  She never graduated from college, but her dedication and perseverance have led her to become a very successful and well-regarded professional in the healthcare business in South Florida.  She has instilled in my brother and me the importance of having a good education, having good work ethics, being responsible for our actions, and being completely dedicated to our professions.  Her goal in life has been to give my brother and me the best she possibly could.  She worked tirelessly to provide for us as best she could as a single mother.  She inspired us to be the best in everything we did.  Needless to say, we both graduated from excellent high schools and colleges, and we both have careers we love.  I am a fourth grade teacher and he is in politics.
 
Her unfaltering love, patience, and understanding have set a standard for me as a mother to 3 children (pictured with her this past November) which I hope and pray to duplicate each day. 

My mom is not only a special mother.  She is a special grandmother, a special friend, and a special mentor.   She is my best friend, and I am blessed to be her daughter.

My mother is my lighthouse, standing strong and steady on the shore while burning her bright shining light into my life.  She had many hardships throughout her life, her years of traveling as a child, caring for her mother when she became ill, giving birth and raising me all alone while caring for her mother.  She remained a bastion of resilience while she valiantly fought cancer for eighteen years, always optimistic that she would overcome her illness.  She stood by my side as I became a single parent myself.  Knowing the challenges I would face, she would watch my son while I worked during the day and finished my college education at night.  She remained a steady life support to me when I felt like giving up.  Sadly she passed on before I could graduate from college but her beacon of light continues to burn love and support into my life.  She left a legacy that I can only hope to achieve.

This is a picture of our mom with three of her granddaughters taken last mother’s day . The reason our mom is so special is because she loves with out conditions, she supports with all she has , she guides us with a soft hand . She  inspires us  to look for the positive in everything as even though she has lived the past 29 years with Multiple Sclerosis she has maintained a very positive attitude about life .  Our Mom has influenced us in our lives with everything that makes her special and insperational , she has shown us how to raise our children  (her seven grandchildren)and how to  have a happy marriage (of course all of this with Dad by her side)  and we are now raising her seven grandchildren with all she has passed our way. We love you MOM. love

jen and sarah

Let’s Celebrate My MOM!

Hi, I am Danielle. I am submitting a photo of myself, with my son, Connor (14 months old) and my mom, Denise! My mom is just the greatest mom in the world and I know you must hear that a lot but my mom has taught me more than I can explain to you in this short email how to be the best mom I can be to my son, Connor. My mom has inspired me to be strong for my son and give him all the support and love I can.

As Connor grows, I remember the sweet memories that my mom and I shared as I was a young child and I can only hope that I do them as well with Connor as my mom ever did with me. She has influenced how I am today in so many ways. I hope she is proud of the mother I am becoming.

My mom is strong, wise, generous and so supportive. My mom always puts herself last in life behind everyone she loves. I hope you pick my mom so that I can surprise her with the best Mother’s Day gift from your collection.

Thank you so much for this opportunity!
Danielle and Connor Merrick

Dear Nashelle,

Attached is a picture of my family at a UConn basketball game last fall. It is one of our favorite family activities.  This event was very special because it was the first game we had been to as a family since my mom had brain surgery.  April 26th 2008 (her two year anniversary is coming up this Monday!), my mother had emergency surgery due to a life-threatening AVM (arteriovenous malformation) in her brain.  She was under the knife for hours and was lucky to have survived. Unfortunately, she lost half of her vision and is no longer able to drive. My mother is extremely independent.  She is the most loving, nurturing, caring person I know and shares these qualities with everyone she meets. Driving for her, was not only a sign of independence, but literally the vehicle by which she was able to help others - picking us up from school, grocery shopping for older, house-bound neighbors, going to church to volunteer with the knitting group, prayer committee and countless other activities so important to her.  Her loss of vision was extremely difficult for all of us in my family, but I have to say that over the past 2 years she has taught me the important lessons of perseverance, strength, and living with whatever hand you are dealt.  She continues to show amazing love despite often feeling frustrated by her vision.  This photo shows us as we are, a happy family, where my mother has adjusted to her limited eye sight well enough to enjoy two of her favorite pastimes: basketball and family.

Thank you for this opportunity to reflect on the amazing woman that is my mother.

Best,
Laura Sherman

Here is a little something to highlight the wonderful woman and person, whom I have been blessed to have as my Mom.

To be a Mom
is no easy task,
Yet you do it with grace
No matter what has been asked

You have been my rock,
Through all of the years,
You have seen it all
The laughter, the tears.

You are my sunshine,
was always our song,
it’s these sweet memories,
that I will pass along

Now you are Grandma,
to my sweet Lil Drew,
You are his “Cha-Cha”
and he’s your “Boo-Boo.”

Happy Mothers Day to you,
my sweet Mother
Had I been given the choice,
there would be no other.

We are birds of a feather,
You’re the head of our Flock,
There is nothing that you can’t do,
I think that you rock,

I love you Mom! Happy Mothers Day!
Love, (Your favorite daughter)
Lissy