I've been blessed with three best friends in my lifetime, and I'd like to honor one kick-ass mom and friend, who's like a sister to me.
You became a mother unexpectedly, and much sooner than you ever planned. At your high school reunion, you shocked your former schoolmates by transforming in five short years from Dance Team Captain to mother of four! You turned out four beautiful, brilliant free spirits without so much as a period in between in the same amount of time it took your peers to grab a Bachelor's. I honor you, for making a marvelous choice--for making a marvelous family. You could have easily been selfish, but you gave each of your daughters a sister and each of your sons a brother for their sake. It took me years to achieve the maturity to even decide to become a mother, but you make it look so easy. Homeroom mom, Team mom, and Troop Leader--your youthful energy inspires me. You haven't had it as easy as me; you scraped by and provided everything those babies needed. When you wanted to take a family vacation even though you were "poor", as you self-proclaimed without shame, you sacrificed and used your talents and resourcefulness to make it happen. Most of all, I humbly thank you for teaching me to throw out the Parenting Magazines, skip the laundry, and just have fun with my kids. Thanks for teaching me that it's okay to enjoy myself once in a while. You are a great mom and friend, and I treasure you!