When I’m having a bad day and am on the verge of tears, there is one person I look for. No person has had more of an impact on my life than her. My mom, Kendra Dwyer, is my best friend and the only person I can tell everything to. I can never explain how grateful I am for the amount of advice, jokes and life lessons she has given me over the last 15 years of my life. 

My mom grew up as a middle child with two brothers. The family values she grew up with help her raise me and my brother. She uses the parenting techniques her mother taught her and adjusts them to her standards and ideas. She tells us how she would sacrifice anything for us and loves us unconditionally. 

She makes it her priority to be a good role model and teaches me how to be a strong and independent woman. The little things she does impacts me more than she knows and shows me how to create loving relationships with family and friends. 

My mom tells me stories of her high school experience during the 80s, like going to the movies and watching Back To The Future, Footloose and almost every John Hughes movie. Listening to her stories makes me connect with her more and reminds me that she was once a teenager too. She understands what I am going through, even if the time was different. 

Even though everyone only needed to give seven-digit phone numbers and Madonna was the Taylor Swift of that decade, the minds of women have not changed and they continue to face the same struggles. She tells me how she overcame the challenges and obstacles she faced in order to get where she is now. 

She doesn’t get mad at me when I get a bad grade; rather, she instead reminds me that I am intelligent and have so much potential to be the person I want to be. She encourages me to follow my dreams instead of going against it if she thinks it’s unrealistic. 

When I told her I wanted to study history in college, she was on board immediately. Even though not many jobs are available that focus on history, she knows that I will find something and pursue a career in history.

Everyday she reminds me that I should never be afraid to tell anything to someone I love. In the little things she does, I know she will always be there for me and to support me. I love her and there will never be a day that I don’t. I know that no matter what I do, she will always be there to guide and teach me the things I need to know. 

The reminders of her love are what keep me going. She always knows how to make me feel better and keep me confident. She doesn’t let me doubt myself and pushes me to believe I can do anything.

She is full of love and reminds me every chance she gets. Her smile lights up my day and everything she does impacts my perspective on life. She has shaped me into the woman I am today and I can’t explain how grateful I am for her everyday. She will always be my role model and the woman I look up to. 

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