I have the most wonderful mom.  She is the reason I love deeply, the reason I not only notice the underdog, but champion that puppy.  She taught me to love unconditionally, no matter how hard it seemed, that it was the only way. She is beautiful, funny, smart, outgoing and love personified.  She is my best friend.

My mother comes from Bulgarian decent.  She’s got skin that can tan easily and in the winter, she still has this great darker color.  I did not get this genetic factor from her.  In fact, I may have the whitest skin (with red undertones) that you have ever seen.  Growing up, no one thought she was my mother.  My friends all thought she was Hawaiian and that I was adopted.  Add to that, she’s always looked young.  All my teachers thought she was my sister and would ask to see ID when she came for parent/teacher conferences.  All of the adoption and sister theories annoyed the hell out of me, until the day came that someone said “you look just like your mother”, and I thought, wow.  That means I’m beautiful.

Happy Mother’s day to all!  Mothers of the two-legged, mothers to the four-legged, mothers to the tri-legged!  It doesn’t matter the number of legs, all that matters is that you are love. And loved.