Thanks, mom

We are all influenced by the women in our lives in some way.

Whether it's mentors, authors, best friends, grandmother's, colleagues. We get their traits, we get their noses, we get their powerful voices or ability to care for others. We're inspired by their strength or inherit their weaknesses. And though sometimes we're fully aware of what we get from them, sometimes it helps to see those traits from another perspective.

Last weekend I was on the phone with my dad and asked him how I was influenced by my mom. Being adopted, I don't have her nose or her eyes, but I do have her enthusiasm for every dog that walks by and her deep passion for the arts.

In honour of International Women's Day this week, I'll share a few of those things that I get from her (according to dad):

1. She liked to laugh.

2. She liked to be around people and entertain.

3. She was a ride or die friend and was always willing to do anything for a friend — she also held extreme grudges.

4. She always liked to talk through things when we struggled with them — we were very open and honest about issues we were struggling with.

5. She was very, very passionate about everything.

6. She was very talented but always moving onto something new — sound familiar?

I can only hope that I find more of these traits throughout the decades to come. I look forward to seeing what family members see in me as I get older, and what I bring to the lives of my own children like my mom brought to mine.