It’s Mother’s Day once again, and I never get tired of honoring all the wonderful mamas in my life and all those women who have made a difference for me. I am beyond blessed to have so many strong, beautiful women surrounding me and I won’t try to name every single one of them for fear of leaving someone out, but just know that if you are a woman and you are surviving and caring for others along the way, I adore you. It takes heart, it takes courage, and it takes a woman’s love to carry us through this life. Let me tell you about just a few of the women in my life who are closest to me.

I will start with my twinsie, my little love, my gift… my very own daughter. Today is extra special because I get to wish her happy Mother’s Day for real, for the very first time. I say “for real” because when she was a little girl, I used to wish her happy Mother’s Day every year the same as she wished for me. I used to tell her that I celebrated her on Mother’s Day too, since she was the one who made me a mother and allowed me to celebrate the day. I also told her she was a wonderful mama to her dolls and so she deserved a special day too. In all honesty though, she wasn’t always the best dolly mama. Her dolls sometimes slept four or five to a little dolly bassinet, and went days without having their clothes changed or their faces washed. She sometimes drew on their faces or cut their hair or left them lying in the middle of her room all alone for long periods of time as she frolicked outside with her playmates, thinking only of herself. I have to say, I was a bit worried about her future abilities as a mother. Then last November, she brought a perfect little boy into the world for us to love alongside her and his daddy. Today is her first real Mother’s Day and she has already earned all the accolades of a pro. She intuitively cares for him, loves him unconditionally, and shows a patience with him that I hadn’t quite seen in her until he was born. She actually does bathe him, change him, and never leaves him alone in the floor to play outside with her friends. I am not aware of her ever drawing on his face up to this point. She has fully embraced motherhood and gives him her all every day in every way that he needs, and I am so proud of the mama that she is. Happy Mother’s Day my little love!

I also have to mention my sister in law, Emily, who is raising my beautiful and headstrong little niece. Em has her hands full for sure, but in the best of ways. Sophie is kind, loving, opinionated, loud, quick witted, intelligent, and can best be described as a sweet and smart little tornado. Emily pushes Sophie beyond her limits, encouraging her to do more and to learn more. She tells her about the world and her place in it as a powerful girl. She loves Sophie and accepts her and shows her by example how girls can do anything. Sophie will carry these lessons with her throughout her lifetime, and is already a force to be reckoned with. Her mama has everything to do with that. Strong loving women raise strong loving girls, and our world is a better place because of it. Thank you Emily, and happy Mother’s Day to you!

There are two very special women in my life who have always been there for me from the moment we crossed paths. Since they are related I will lump them together here, although they are each very special in their own right. My very best friend Steph and her mama Earleen have comforted me, cared for me, and lifted me up more times than I can count and I love them both so much. I don’t know how I would have gotten through some of the lowest points in my life without their support. Mama Earl is a fierce protector and from the start she took me under her wing as one of her own children. She has loved me, shown me how to be a fighter, carried me through darkness, and always been on my side. She has cared for my family as much as she has cared for me; I’ll never be able to repay all her kindness. As for Steph, what can I say my friend… we’ve weathered many storms and I’m sure there are more to come in this life but I feel safer knowing you will be there to pick up the phone, jump on a plane, or just send the perfect text at the perfect moment and I will be able to carry on. Steph has the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever known; she is a mama to all. She comforts those around her by just being there and listening. She helps everyone in need, and I do mean EVERYONE. Man, woman, animal… no matter, if you need help and she knows about it she will do all she can to rescue you. All the children in both our families love her because she exudes silliness and gets down on their level to play with them and make them feel special. I couldn’t have chosen a better Godmother for my own daughter. Happy Mother’s Day to you both, you beautiful sassy ladies you!

Of course, there is my very own mama. She is mama to me, Babcia to her grandchildren, and Zyta to the rest of the world. My mama has lived a life that I will never really know. Torn from her family at a very young age, coming to the United States to start her life over, learning so much again and again, absorbing more than one culture and language, surviving hard times and having a marriage of 49 years, working hard and sacrificing for her children… she has known heartache and struggle and yet has never let it win. She still laughs, embraces life, and speaks her mind. When I was little she read to me every day and played games with me. She made sure that I had every opportunity that she was able to provide, even if it meant that she had to give something up for herself. She didn’t have expensive clothes or jewelry, she didn’t go get her hair done. She couldn’t go shopping without the worry of spending money that we didn’t have. Yet I got that clarinet so I could be in the school band. I had art lessons and got to them somehow. The money would materialize for me to participate in school activities, to have that one special gift under the Christmas tree, or to buy school clothes each fall. My childhood was sometimes a desolate place, but while I was aware of it, I always knew that somehow it would be okay. My mama made sure of it. I love you Mama, for giving me hope and perseverence. You are the strongest woman I know, and I am so proud to call you my own Mama.

There are so many other amazing mamas in my life. My cousin Julie cares for her family… her husband who is ill, her beautiful children, her own mother right up until the end, all while handling her own illness. She is a nurse and cares for others as well; I don’t think that is by accident. She has a giving soul and I admire her so much. Lindy’s step-mother is a loving person who has cared for my daughter as her own, all while dealing with great loss in her life and now raising her own little girl. I have aunts on both sides of my family who have looked after me and cheered me on in my life. I have friends who are now mamas and yet always manage to find the time to help others along their way. As I said in the beginning, there is no way I could possibly mention each and every one of them, but please know that if you have cared for me or mine in this life, you hold a place in my heart.

Mamas make the world go around. They provide for us. They feed us. They kiss our boo-boos away. They listen and offer advice when needed. They go without in order to give to others. They tickle us until we laugh all the while hiding their own tears and frustrations. They teach us how to love, how to give, and how to care. They teach us to be stronger, to be better. They hold our hands when we must face things that we don’t think we can ever get through. They hurt for us. I know that if they could, they would bear all of our sorrows for us just to see us smile. So to all the mamas, aunts, daughters, cousins, friends, sisters, grandmothers…. happy Mother’s Day. You enrich our lives more than you will ever know, and I love you all for it.