Take Me To Post Comment Form Mother's Day every year always makes me reflect on the important women in my life. And every year, I'm always amazed at how blessed I am to have such awesome female influences.

My Oma, my maternal grandmother, is the woman who has been through it all. A concentration camp survivor, an immigrant, a wife to an American soldier who died over 25 years ago, a mother, later a grandmother and everything in between. She's hard-headed, strong, beautiful, caring, hilarious, mean as a whip (that one is a joke), and would give you her last dollar without even thinking about it. She's famous for her 'shocolaten' (chocolate) cakes and she beats me home on the weekends just to give me a hug when I get there.

My nanny, my paternal grandmother, rears a huge family and keeps us all together by herself after my papa died several years ago. She's also stubborn (in my family it's a good thing), kind, generous, takes pride in all her grandchildren, is a good Christian woman and jerks a knot in our tail when we do something wrong. And since I'm her only granddaughter, she takes a little extra pride in me (her words). She tells me no man I ever bring home will be good enough for me in her eyes. She's our family cheerleader and she's the center of all of us.

My aunts, my dad's sisters, both raised their children alone and did a fine job. Neither take crap from anyone, are fierce in their loving of their family and taught me to always make my own path, never to be taken advantage of and always, always be strong-headed. They are two wonderful women who amaze me in many ways.

My cousin-in-law, Heather, bless her heart for marrying into the Reaves. In my family you don't just marry the spouse...you marry the whole clan, for better or for worse. She's younger than I am and she and Kelly are expecting their first child. (Again, bless her heart).

Last, and most importantly, my mother. She keeps my family together, breaks up arguments, lives without my dad two nights a week while he's off working, supports her children, teaches school, the last to go to bed and the first to rise, gives infinite hugs, won't go a day without telling her children she loves them, prays for us everyday, and now that I'm grown, she's my best friend. When my pet died a couple months ago, she cried on the phone with me for an hour because I was in Statesboro alone, when I was so sick with mono awhile back she drove over to Statesboro to take me to the doctor because I could hardly drive, she sent me off to college and is preparing to send my brother this summer. She's gone to a thousand baseball games, piano recitals, dance rehearsals, school functions and did the all with a smile. She clips every article I write in the paper, proudly introduces me to everyone we come near, all her students know my life history...she's a proud mom. She encourages me to never settle for less than perfection, takes pride in everything I do and will still chew me out when I'm wrong. She has a heart of gold and is one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen - in every way.

If I am half the woman that the women in my life are - I will be blessed. Because of these women, I am strong, independent, stubborn and hard-headed, tender-hearted, smart and think of others before my self. I know that my future is bright and promising, and I refuse to let these women down.

What have the women in your life taught you? What kind of woman is your mother?