Lauren W.

I know sometimes it doesn't feel like it
but to 4 people,
you are the world

you are our hero,
our inspiration,
and our rock.

you are the trunk to our family tree,
winter, spring, summer and fall
when the branches get weak, you keep holding tight

sometimes the winds are strong, and the storms are harsh
but the bad weather makes the roots grow stronger
and without it, we wouldn't be who we are

you are optimistic,
hard working,
and never let a day go by without a "good morning, i love you" text

we wake up with smiles every morning because of you
we wake up with a roof over our heads and food on the table because of you

you have taught us how to fight for what we believe in,
how to stand up for who we are
and how to catch that 20 inch rainbow trout, or how to make up a good story if we don't

so this is for you dad,
our hero,
our inspiration,
our best friend,
and our provider

we love you

Motherhood is a choice you make everyday
you choose,
everyday
to make sure our happiness is always above yours,
to love us unconditionally,
and to never let a day go by without telling us how much we mean to you.

I mean yeah, the 7 texts and 6 missed calls within 2 minutes of us not responding can be annoying,
but thats just the way you show your love

you show us by saying
"is your seatbelt on?"
"don't forget your coat!"
"did you make it home safe?"
"just calling to see how your day was."

you taught us how to walk,
ride a bike,
tie our shoes,
where to find the best sales,
and most importantly,
how to love
not only others, but ourselves

you taught us that being kind is the only way to get through life and that no matter the circumstances, always show love towards everyone

to the girl who gossiped about Lindsay, "show her love, don't fight back"
to the friends who lied to Jeffrey, "be nice to the those who are mean to you, they need it the most"
and to the girls who always tore Lauren down, "don't worry sweetheart, it'll only get better"

and through all of this, you never gave up on us
through the ups and downs,
the bad days and the good days,
you never let go of our hands

you held on even if we told you not to,
you've loved us from day one,
and we strive to be more like you everyday

so mom, here's to you
our therapist,
our personal shopper,
our chef (mostacolli, cereal and chicken dinos)
and our best friend

thank you,
and we love you
(even more than words can say)