My mom has been a caretaker her entire life. She has worked in healthcare, working with people suffering from illnesses such as Alzheimer’s and Dementia for most of her career. Furthermore, she has been a caretaker for me and my brother Michael for as long as I’ve been born.

With November being National Caregiver Appreciation Month, she deserves recognition for all the care she has given throughout her life.

She works tireless and thankless hours every day to make sure that others in need can live and survive in the latter halves of their life. My mom makes sure that other’s amenities are taken care of and that those suffering are able to function regularly everyday. It isn’t the most fun job in the world, and often it is hard work. But she does it everyday and never complains, as long as her clients are happy.

For me, my mom has been the most generous caregiver I could ever ask for.

Growing up, I never met my father. My mom still made sure that I was involved in sports and around other male role models. She brought me to every game and watched me play from fourth grade all the way up until I graduated high school. While she didn’t necessarily understand what was happening, she was willing to be there. She made sure to let me know that she was proud of me and was excited to watch me do something I came to love.

My mom also made sure that my life wasn’t any different than any kid my age. While she was a single mother, she made sure to do as much as she could to make sure that I knew I was important and I was just as valid as anyone else.

When my brother and I were younger, when other kids had water guns, she would use empty bottles of soap and filled them with water so we could play too. While others had pools she would fill tubs with water so we had one too. She would do arts and crafts with us and take us to the mall for ‘No Spending Day,’ in which we would just window shop. I didn’t understand what it meant at the time, but now I realize that the money didn’t matter; it was the quality time we had together.

I struggled a lot in my younger life with anger issues and as an adult I struggle with bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety. Often I feel like I’m not cut out for college or a career in journalism. My mom reminds me that I’m worth it. She has helped me grow as a person and believed in me when many others didn’t. As I graduate in the spring, none of that would have been possible without my mom.

As a kid and an adult, my mom has always been there. While we might never have had what others did monetarily, we always had each other. And that’s all that matters to me. I’ll never forget her trying to throw the baseball with me even though she has torn rotator cuffs.

The month of November is meant to celebrate Caregivers throughout the country. I couldn’t imagine another caregiver who deserves to be recognized than my mom. If I am half the parent she was then and is now, I know my future children will have a great life.

To my mom: thank you for showing me what it meant to be a strong person in today’s society. You’ve taught me more than anyone and I am lucky to have been raised by a woman like you. I hope one day I can be as caring as yourself; maybe the Scrabble skills you’ve taught me will come back to beat you.