my mother is the sweetest, most elegant and beautiful woman in the world.

she is hilarious and precise.

her memory for things that happened 50 plus years ago is better than mine for yesterday.

she taught me how to sew and cook, and because of her I have started making my own bread.

she gave me the freedom to have a love for and pursue art.

she knows how to dress well and wears a scarf better than lady Diana.

she loves to read and recap stories, and she's a master with detail.

she helped raise her twenty brothers and sisters then six kids of her own and now six (soon to be seven) grandchildren.

she is a powerhouse.

she is my hero, and my inspiration.

I love her more than life, which I wouldn't have the ability to do, had she not given me life itself.