as high as the sky. as deep as the ocean.

“A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts."   ~Washington Irving

happy birthday mother. all my love. by *Heather Thomas on Polyvore.com

Today is my sweet Mother’s 54th Birthday. I didn’t even hesitate to put her age because I have never seen her care about aging. She seems to enjoy each year –and each new wrinkle-as they come! She doesn’t seem to care that she has wrinkles or she is starting to get gray hair. In fact, I think she only recently bought her first “wrinkle serum” for her eyes and she has never colored her hair! I can brag about my Mom because well, she is my Mom and she is pretty dang fantastic! However my sweet Mother will not be so sweet once she finds out that I wrote an entire post about her and included a photo of her!
My Mom (and Dad!) are God’s shining examples in my life of what true, absolute and unconditional love really is. My Mom is my hero in everyway and most certainly my earthly role model. My parents tried for 7 years to have a baby. Those years, while struggling with infertility, were so difficult for them. They were especially difficult on my Mom because all she ever wanted to be was a Mother. My Mother is so gracious and so wise, she praises God for the time that she waited to have a child. She realized early on that God’s time is the perfect time. She is quick to say that she would not be the Mother she is today if she had not waited and wanted a baby for so long.

The relationship with my Mother is indescribable. We know what each other are thinking, with just a look. We know one another’s hearts. When I first got sick, people didn’t believe that I was really sick. People actually believed that I was “pretending” so that I could get attention. Being the loving and wise Mother that she is, my Mother knew better and fought for me every inch of the way and has continued to fight for me everyday for over 10 years. She chose me over doubt. She chose me over the easy way out.

She is my Mother, my caregiver, my mentor, role model and my best friend. Mom, if you get a chance to read this today, I love you more than words could ever say. Everything that I want to be is what you showed me was beautiful. Thank you for loving me. I love you as high as the sky and as deep as the ocean.