it's hard to put into words what a mother is and what she means to each of us.  to me, my mother is the calm in the middle of the storm, a place to call home, a source of unconditional love & support, and so much more.  my mother has been a shining example of all of those things over the years and becoming a mother myself and instilled such a deeper sense of appreciation and admiration for her.  she is selfless, she is loving, she is kind, and she's so much cooler than I ever gave her credit for. To that end, since it is Friday and I love a good theme, I wanted to share some of my favorite links around the web that are mother-centric:

+ my mother instilled in me the importance of service above self; here's a list of ways to give back this mother's day.

+ JTs back baby (and his mother is in the video)

+ i've become soft since being a mother, and this commercial gets me every.single.time.

+ my favorite carrot cake recipe (from my mother)

+ don't forget to check out some of my favorite bloggers who also happen to be moms: Kate from Dress your Guests, Marion from MarionBerry, Becky from The Pumpkin Spot, Danielle from Lou What Wear, & Chassity from Look Linger Love

+ even your mother should brush her shoulder off

i hope you & yours have a lovely weekend and don't forget to thank that special mom in your life.