My mom is my hero.

 

She taught me how to love without conditions, how to heal from the inside out, how to forgive, how to surrender to the human experience and how to work for the life I want and deserve.

 

It is because of the values she embodied that I work to excel in various areas of my life. 

 

And although I have been recognized for my academic and athletic achievements, I think about my mom's favorite quote by Gord Downie,

 

"Be happy, it's all you leave."