Dear mom,

They say that before we are born, we choose the people who will be our parents and I am so lucky I made no mistakes. If it is true and I chose you, I really understood what life was about even before living it. You are a true gem and I am so proud I get to call myself your daughter.

I look around and I thank my lucky stars for having you. It is because of you that I am the woman I am today. You taught me what it means to be a woman, a sister, a girlfriend, a friend, a granddaughter, a niece, a cousin and a daughter. You shaped so many aspects of my life and held my hand through it all; because even now when we live thousands of miles apart, you are still holding my hand. It is because of that why I feel so safe to be myself and stand up for what I believe in.

When I look at you, I see a strong woman who has never given up. You have dedicated your life to being a mother and in the process taught me how beautiful it can be. One day, my children will be so lucky to have you as their grandmother and together we will celebrate Mother’s Day. I will tell them stories of all the moments in which I looked at you and thought “wow my mom is Wonder Woman!" Honestly, you are my personal superhero. The one who came to my rescue whenever I fell down, I found myself in trouble or I just needed a shoulder to cry on.

I truly hope you look at your life and are so proud of everything you have accomplished. There is still so much for you to do and I hope once your nest is empty you are not afraid to go after all the dreams you have yet to make a reality. As your daughter, as your best friend, I will be here cheering you on as you have always done for me.

There is one thing that I made you do without warning, without asking. I made you be the mom of a lesbian daughter. You were not expecting it yet today you stand proud by my side. It took you time and understanding but you have accepted me for who I am and everything that implies. You do not hide me from the world and you tell everyone about me, my girlfriend and how I am proudly living my life. Thank you for being one of the good ones. For loving me exactly as I am. Thank you for proudly being the mom of a lesbian.

As Meryl Streep once said, thank you is two too small words and she was absolutely right. Thank you is not enough to show you how thankful and grateful I am for everything you have done and you have given for your children. I hope that in this lifetime I can give you back at least half of what you have given me; if not, I will choose you again in my next life and try again. You truly deserve only the best and I will keep looking for ways to make sure you always get it.

On this Mother’s Day, I hope the world gets a glimpse of how perfect you are. Because, mother dear, to me you are perfect with all your imperfections, you fears, and your doubts. Your superpowers are visible and have kept me safe for 23 years. Thank you. Thank you for having allowed me to choose you as my mom. Happy Mother’s Day.