Growing up, my mother was no nonsense, and all about raising my sister and I to be exceptional women.

I was always expected to be above standard, even with whatever chaos that surrounded me at any given time. It was no secret that she loved us more than anything in this world and as I got older, my mother suddenly shifted to a friend; someone I could call at any given time and she was always there to be an ear. The loyalty was unmatched. She was my best friend.