The princess and the queen: The woman who made me who I am

Explaining how I feel about my mom is an interesting thing to do. It’s difficult to put into words, because I don’t know how to properly describe the woman who not only gave me life, but gave my life meaning and so much love.

No one in this life is perfect, but, to me, she’s pretty darn close. I’ve never met a woman who loves more fiercely or protects her family (related or not) than she does. She is honest (oftentimes brutally honest) and has more integrity in her pinkie-toe than most people have in their entire soul.

She’s the one I look to for an example when I feel like life is too hard. She’s lived through hell and back and has defeated demons I can never begin to understand. She is a dragon-slayer of a queen.

She’s also one of the kindest people I’ve ever known. She loves with her whole heart and desperately wants everyone to do the right things and have the love of God in their lives.

She calls people on their crap, no matter who they are. One time in particular, a boy asked me if he could poke me (“what????!!??”, am I right?). Her response was to scare the living daylights out of him by telling him he was to NEVER touch her children. He never bothered me again.

She’s always offered our family as a refuge for people who don’t feel they are safe. She doesn’t judge people, she just loves. It’s because of her love of God’s children that I have some of the weirdest and most wonderful people I call family—many of whom we’ve never met. None of whom we are actually closely related to.

She’s always been royalty. She says she and I are lucky because we were both born as princesses and nothing can change that. I believed her when I was little, but somewhere along the way I wanted to break from that title. I hated being called a princess when I was 18. Now, I’m older and wiser and I wear that title with pride. It’s not that we were ever spoiled, we just have some quality or another that people just know. We are princesses. She’s my queen. It’s that simple.

She knows me better than I know myself. She’s been there for every heartbreak and heartache I’ve been through. She’s supported me completely and never told me there was anything I couldn’t do. She kept me safe, while teaching me about the dangers of the world.

She homeschooled me for most of my schooling, but she didn’t shelter me in the least bit. I was a quiet child, but I wasn’t shy. She taught me the importance of a real education and the importance of getting along with others.

She’s a leader, an entrepreneur, a listener, a friend, a fashionista, a diva, a mother.

She can be silly sometimes. She makes me laugh when all I want to do is cry.

One time, she told a boy that he had permission to hold my hand on a group date to an amusement park so that I wouldn’t get lost in the crowd. He’s still the only person who has been given that honor. (He knows who he is…)

She’s the smartest woman I know. She didn’t go to college and sometimes her memory isn’t that great because of the surgeries she’s been through, but she knows something about everything. The things she is passionate about radiate through her and her intelligence spills onto those around her.

She’s selfless. She loves without holding back. She makes sure others know they are worth more than they can comprehend. She provides without thought for herself.

If I ever wanted something, she would find a way to make it happen. We never had much money growing up, but I never felt without. We always had something to open on Christmas morning, even during the years when things were really bad financially.

She’s my everything. It doesn’t matter what she’s dealing with or what pain she is feeling, I can count on her to be there for me through anything and everything. I can’t go a full four hours without talking to her, let alone an entire day. It doesn’t matter if I have a big problem or if I’m just frustrated about missing a sock; She cares.

If you read my previous post, you know that she’s been through extremely difficult circumstances. The thing about that is she has never let that hold her back. She took the hand she was dealt and rose above it. She had the worst example of what a mother was and became the exact opposite. She’s a warrior.

There are times I find myself behaving or speaking like she would and those moments are some of the happiest of my life. I don’t know many 23 year olds who want to be like their mothers, but I certainly am one. My mother is wonderful.

I’ll be lucky to be half the woman she is.

There is so much more I could say, but, in summary, I love my mom. I look up to her and I can’t imagine life being any different than it is. I am who I am because of her.

I am a princess who was raised by a queen.