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When Laura suggested I do a column for Mother's Day, the first thing that came to mind was, "How can I possibly write about my Mom and what she means to me in 500 words or less?"
I can't even begin to describe who my Mother is or what she means to me in that short word count!
For those of you who may not know her, my Mom, Tammy, is the greatest person I have ever had the privilege of knowing. She's insightful, kind and always knows just what to say.
I know what you might be thinking, "Bre, MY mom is exactly like that!" Let me try and explain to you why exactly my Mom stands out among the rest.
My Mom is absolutely the glue that keeps my whole family together. We're lucky that our phone plans are unlimited now -- she gets so many calls from everyone around her to just TALK for hours and hours that if this were 2010, we'd be out of minutes by the second day of the month.
I could write for pages and pages about the incredible memories I share with my Mom; all the fun family trips she's coordinated over the years to keep the boys and I entertained during the summer months, the amount of time she takes out of her day to make sure we're all okay, the endless patience and kindness she had when my health was at its worst, her adoration for my friends and treating them like they were her own -- and that's not even scratching the surface of who she is as a person.
No matter what is happening in my life or the lives of our extended family, my Mom is always there to offer the best advice she can give to steer us on the right track. Everyone in my family knows they can count on her to be a shoulder to cry on, a person to yell and rage with or just an ear to listen when we need to talk.
Whether we're just lazing around the house playing silly word games on her iPad, or out at state parks taking pictures of local wildlife, my Mom knows how to have fun. She's the highlight of any party or gathering, always snapping away and taking pictures to preserve memories.
She always says how I'm creative and smart, but she never takes into account just where I got all my creativity. Some of my fondest memories (all captured on camera by her) include moments where her creativity showed -- a cat cake for my birthday, scrapbooks that fill whole shelves, family Easter egg hunts where the boys and I all fight for the grand golden egg.
She is the reason I am who I am today, and I don't know who or what I would have been without her in my life.
My Mom is the strongest, kindest and most caring person I know, and I strive every day to be someone who is as amazing as she is.
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Breanna Hanley is a staff reporter for The Express.