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Mother’s Day is the perfect day to honor and celebrate the very person who brought us into the world. Today, our Ellie staffers are honoring our moms with the words and photos that illustrate just how much she means.
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My mom is by far the strongest person I know and by far the most selfless person I know. She has sacrificed herself for her family since I could remember, without any hesitation. For me, she has set the highest standard of how a mother, woman, and person should carry themselves. If I am half the mother she is one day, then I'll be content, because I have the greatest mentor to guide me. I also can blame her for my need to have perfectly manicured nails at all times! — Michelle
No matter the age, I will always need my mom. Because of you, I am who I am today. — Rocio
I love my mom. She has a huge personality and we bicker like no other, but I also see a lot of her in me. It’s funny how the older I get, the more I realize what she’s done for me as a kid — and even now. — Alex
Mother, I have learned so much from you. You’re a five-foot, little, tough woman who goes out there and just gets it done. In my teens we were not the best of friends; now, as I have matured and lived life, our relationship is not only mother-to-daughter, but woman-to-woman, and that makes it all more special. We’ve been each other’s support through the many hardships in our lives so far (losing Dad and my youngest sibling), but we’ve remained strong and pulled through. I’m sorry I was the one kid who gave you all those grey hairs from the many times I’ve been in the hospital. I didn’t have children, but together we raised five of them. You are in my prayers every night and I wish you could be with us forever. This Mother’s Day, I show my love to you by not being there with you physically. Your health is more important to us; we will soon be able to hug and visit each other again. For now, our weekly calls and FaceTime will get us through. I love you, Mom. — Elvira
How do you even describe what your mom means to you? I feel like so much of who I am and where I am in life somehow ties back to my mom. All of the educational vacations we took, visiting the entire country growing up, as I now live far away and continue to explore as much as I can. How much I love nothing more than curling up with a good book. How much of a tomboy I am, always ready to get my hands dirty and my lack of focus on the “fancy” things in life. Even silly things like parking at the back of parking lots, because I’d rather get those extra few steps into my day. And most definitely, how hard I work in everything I do — she set the bar high. I owe so much of who I am to who my mom raised me to be, and how involved she was every day — even if growing up I frequently thought it was a little too involved. No matter what, I’ve always known that my mom was there for me and would support and show up for me no matter what. And that is priceless. I hope she knows how much I know that and how much I value that and her. Even though we live far apart these days, I don’t, for a second, feel differently about how much she is still there for me. Or how much I love her. Love you, Mom, and I hope we can be together again soon! — Laura
I love my maganda (beautiful) Filipino mom! She’s so loud and cute and she makes me laugh every day. I don’t know how she stays so hip and on top of trends, especially with health foods. She’s had me drinking avocado shakes since I was six years old. Lol. Every time we FaceTime, she’s always cooking or dancing and living her best life! She’s my best friend and I’m so lucky to have her as my mom! Mahal kita inay! — Nicole
This is my absolute favorite photo of my mother. The expression on her face, whether she is completely exhausted or completely enamored (with that gorgeous new baby ), makes my heart so happy. My mother is tough as nails with a heart of gold. Her selflessness knows no limits and I am in awe of her every day. — Jen
What does my mom mean to me? Everything. Love and laughter, childhood and nurturing, womanhood and friendship. From coloring books side-by-side (I always admired her work!) to sharing in life adventures, and everything in-between; I could go on and on. The day I lost her didn’t change any of that. She still means all of those things, and more. There are so many conversations I would love to have with her...to hear her voice. Her memory lives on with me, and within me, every day...and she continues to be a huge part of who I am. I love and miss you, Mom. — Kendra
And then, we have one staffer and first-time mom who was inspired to talk about what Mother’s Day means to her, as a mother to her son…
Mike and I have spent a whole year together and I've gotten to watch him grow from a little crib potato I nestled almost all day, to a very brave and independent one-year-old who is very close to taking his first steps without me. I catch myself tearing up watching last year’s Snapchat memories of what seem to be only a couple of days ago. Being a mom means absolutely everything to me — it is honestly the hardest, yet most rewarding job I've ever had. I can’t wait to help guide him into becoming a loving, responsible, honest, and respectful young man. — Lourdes