A young little girl,
numb, complicated, and insignificant.
Pained, rejected, and craved for affection,
Searching for someone like you to fill my emptiness.
Somehow you found me when I needed you the most.
A young woman packed with the responsibility of an isolated child requiring a lifetime of attention.  
An immediate connection was formed beyond my comprehension.
You quickly became my hero.
Someone I admired and loved.
Someone I hoped to become.
You cradled and moved me into your life.
I watched and learned from you.
Showing me what unconditional love was.
Guiding me to chase my dreams and accomplish
my goals.
Believing in me when I couldn't.
Deciding I was significant enough to take the time in coaching me to believe in myself.
Delivering me with hope.
Surrounding me with beauty making the ugliness around me less painful.
Investing in me and making me feel worthy.
You became my family, an image I didn't entirely recognize was essential until I met you.

You were the mother I always wanted.
You wrapped your arms around my soul twenty five years ago and never let go.  
Your warmth still protects me today.
Providing consistency and stability in my life of chaos.
Showing me that I could be loved.
Instilling morals, work ethic, values, and kindness with every conversation you had with me.  
You carried me when I needed you,
and trusted me enough to let me fall at times.
Helping me collect and glue the pieces of my mistakes back together.
Passing on your knowledge and wisdom.
Allowing for my immaturity and ignorance to flee.
You continued to be my hero as our relationship strengthened.

You were my teacher.
Teaching me of my endless potential.
Giving me a crash course on the fundamentals of education, by making me understand them.
Showing me how to correct my wrongs, and how to avoid repeating them.
Giving me everything I missed out on.
Teaching me how to love others and how to live in the world I felt so alienated from.

You were my sister, always with the best advice.
There to see things from a more global and wiser perspective.
Permiting me to broaden my vision of circumstances.
Looking up to you, and seeking your approval.

You were my best friend; most cherished and most respected.
Understanding me fully, and accepting all my flaws.
Fun times, plenty of laughs, and dancing the nights away.
Consoling me during my breakdowns.
The friend I could spend every waking moment with, and never wanting to part.
Missing you when we weren’t together.

Somewhere between my graduation, wedding day, and the birth of my children.
Something amazing happened.
A combination of all these established time capsuled relationships evolved.
One reinvigorated relationship.  
A unique bond that can never be replicated or explained.
Every time I think of you, my cluttered mind becomes simplified as I smile with appreciation.
Having you by my side, a precious gift.
My hectic thoughts elude me leaving me with one word.
Hero!
I am the outcome of your love and support.
You helped shape me and continue to do so.
You will always have an unbreakable link to my heart.
You are and always will be my hero :)

© Jl 2015