My mother has a story that could probably be published if she put it on paper. She speaks 8 languages, has traveled to different countries, has lived in Israel with me during the Gulf war when I was an infant and has been hurt, time an time again. My father has been in and out of our lives but left for good in 2001. My mother has dedicated the past 18 years of her life to toiling with me and raising me to be the woman that I will one day become. She has taught me strength, finness, resilience, and style. I have learned how to handle a terrible situation with grace and still walk out of it looking like the beautiful lady I am, thanks to her. There is alot I follow in her foot steps for. Aside from her character, I take alot of my knowledge from her style of makeup, dress, and class. I learned how to do my own makeup from watching her. I steal her shoes all of the time! we're only about a half a shoe size apart. When I was in junior high school, my mother and I used to share clothes. Her weight fluctuates drastically. I stand 5 foot 2, I am a size 4. She is two inches taller than I am and a size 12. She has gained alot of weight. But shes losing it gradually.  She has gotten "girlier" as we have gotten older. I am more of a tomboy so when I am not in work clothes, I am in ripped jeans, black t shirts and converse sneakers. Shes into floral maternity shirts and linen pants and ofcourse, heels! I still admire her way of perfectly accessorizing an outfit. She still knows how to make her daughter look like a beauty queen and she often does it with a smile. I am off to college now. I am 18 years old. My mother has worked so hard to watch me get here and she will continue to work to put me through school. There is so much I admire her for. If you met her, Im pretty sure youd admire her too. She'll be turning 40 on august 29th and I would love for her to get something awesome. She deserves this.