Happy Birthday Mom.

To the most wonderful Mom on earth, Happy Birthday.

I've had a very difficult relationship with my mom. At times, I used to even question our relationship, and if we were ever going to be able to maintain a healthy one. But the tough times surpassed, and better times are rising. We have gone through ups and downs, and downs, and downs, and downs, but when the ups are present, they outweigh any issues by millions.

My mother, a fucking warrior, has been through shit I will never even begin to fathom. A fucking war, losing 3 out of 6 children (excuse me, what?), readjusting and beginning a new life in an entire new country, but successfully creating an American life for herself. I forget that when I look at my own hardships, that my own mom has been through worse, tenfold. I look up to her in many ways. Her absolute pure heart, strength and agility to appreciate everything she's given, whether good or bad. She wears her heart on her sleeve at all times, and shares her story, her passion, and most of all her selfless love to each person she meets. And all while managing to be fun, lighthearted, and tries her very best to find humor in all situations.

Yeah, my mom, the one person I hands down would jump through fire, off cliffs, or in front of a bullet for, is a beast. Sure, we disagree on many things, but we're also from different worlds, and different times, but she's all the family I got, basically. And she is the reason I am who I am today.

Being that I am the only one in my whole family to be born in the United States, the only one to have successfully graduated College and the only girl, the pressure of success is huge. Becoming a creative soul, and pursing one of the most unstable career paths out there is also quite a task at hand; regardless -- with everything I do, motivation stems from looking up to my mom. I not only feel the need to owe success to myself, because I know I do work hard, but I also owe this to my mom, for going through absolute hell to get me to where I am.

Although my mom may never read this blog (no computers in Vietnam circa 1980, therefore my mom does not, and will never even know how to begin how to function a computer *lol'ing*) This is what I scream in my heart for her:

I love you, Mom. Legit, you're the shit! Happy Birthday.