A tribute to the woman that inspires me

Being that it is my mom's birthday it only seems fitting that I dedicate my entry to her today...When it comes to fitness and health, my mom has struggled with her weight for years and definitely had her fair share of insecure moments when it comes to body image...I mean, who hasn't??Actually WHAT WOMAN HASN'T??With that being said as soon as I found the gym and became passionate about it I immediately wanted to be an advocate for it, and living a healthy lifestyle...And one of the first people I tried to "recruit" to impose my love of the gym off on was my mom....I would show her different exercises, explain everything to her, I even dragged her to the gym a few times...But nothing seemed to work...I didn't realize that just because the gym was MY thing, lifting weights and such when it comes to fitness, that it might not be everybody's thing....That's when I had my "ah-ha" moment and somewhat backed off of her, to give her space, hoping she would find something that was a good fit for her...And she did...It was YOGA....She has been doing yoga, faithfully and consistently for almost a year...And let me tell you I couldn't be more proud..And not just because she is being active...Taking yoga speaks volumes about many areas of her life...For a woman who has done without, never taken care of herself, made herself a priority, and wasn't consistent with too much besides always being there for her kids(which is huge...don't get me wrong) to set aside time each week, even if it is only an hour...says so much...It says she knows shes worth that time....That is HER time...And everyone else needs to respect it and not ask for anything during that block of time because she is doing something she enjoys..Also yoga has done wonders for her stress levels...I don't know why I didn't suggest it before to her, knowing what a stressful life she has lead...It has improved her balance, posture, and levels of flexibility...She is definitely overall more fit, and has lost  lots of weight...I even notice that she carries herself differently, she seems to have so much more confidence which is amazing for a daughter to see when she looks at her mother...She just seems happier...And that change in her life has snow-balled into her making other changes because she feels better about herself..She is eating better, she has bought herself new clothes, got a new haircut....She recently bought her first pair of high heels and I got to teach her how to walk in them...Can you imagine being almost 60 and never owning heels not to mention not knowing how to walk in them??She was so cute and I love moments like that with her, seeing her excited to try new things...She reminds me and I reiterate to her, that you are never too old to try new things. I remember how excited she was when she purchased her yoga mat for her first class...I have shown my support for her new found passion by giving her gifts that pertain to yoga during different holidays..This is huge to me...I think it is symbolic that I not only believe in what she is doing, but I support her.I have even taken an interest in yoga by going to a class with her..Whenever you are trying something new and you wanna stick with it, a strong support system is essential...With that being said my wish on her 59th birthday is that she continues to practice yoga to end her 50's on a high note and strives to set and reach new goals, try new things, continues to grow and I feel so blessed to be a part of this journey as she truly seems to finally be coming into her own and finding/becoming who she is meant to be...HAPPY 59th BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!!I love you more than words could ever express.....