When I was a little girl, I wasn't the most graceful kid. Besides, that I was far from tall or willowy. I was hardly cut out for ballet. And yet, I wanted to take ballet lessons and I wanted to be a dancer when I grew up. My mom, recognizing that putting me in ballet would absolutely set me up for little girl heartbreak when I couldn't possibly do any of the moves that the other girls could, steered me towards other lessons geared toward my natural abilities - music, horseback riding, sports. My mom told me that I could do and be anything I wanted to, but being a ballerina was one of those things that I could do in Heaven. That satisfied me just fine at the age of 6. As I got older, I always remembered that comment and thought it was the sweetest way to explain to a clumsy little girl that ballet would not be her forte in this lifetime.

My mom has always been the most amazing person in my life. She used to write poems and put them in my lunch box, and she wrote me sticker letters all the way through college and beyond. She is brilliant and strong and creative and the most kind person you could ever meet. She has influenced me more than anyone else, and I am absolutely everything I am today because of her. She is my greatest role model and my very best friend.

Happy Birthday, Mom!