Selfless. No other word more clearly depicts your commitment to your family. Motherhood is drastically different than you dreamed of your whole life—the dreams of what sort of mama you would be, of how much you would enjoy being a mother even on the tough days.

Since day one of our relationship, you’ve been selfless. Since day one of being a mama, you’ve been selfless. Your love for your family shines through on the brightest and darkest days. But on the dark days, it shines the brightest.

I can’t count the hours of sleep sacrificed, the tears cried, the time spent fretting about if we are ruining our kids, the knots in your back and shoulders from literally carrying at least one child all day long, the meals cooked that our children asked for only to say “I don’t yike it.”

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Even on the hardest days, I still see you give your entire self for our family. You are a hero to our kids (and to me), their favorite person (mine too), and the person they can’t spend enough time with (again, I can relate).

When you spend so much time and energy pouring yourself out for others, it’s easy to feel empty, drained, exhausted, and wondering if it’s all worth it. On those hardest days, remember this:

Because of your selflessness, our kids are safe. Because of your selflessness, they are loved. They are fed. They are comforted anytime, anywhere.

Because of your selflessness, our kids are learning to respect people and treat everyone with dignity. Because of your selflessness, they feel brave (with a little more selfless support sometimes).

Because of your selflessness, our kids are the funniest, happiest, most energetic, craziest, most caring (well. . . sometimes), loving, perfectly imperfect children they are. They drive both of us crazy, exhaust us, and make us wonder why God gave us these crazy hooligans. And that’s before we hit 7:00 a.m.! (Did I mention you sacrifice sleep? Daily?)

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But even on those days, you give everything, emptying yourself for your children, you are the living example of how God told us to live: “Do to others what you would have them to do you” (Matthew 7:12).

I love and admire you with everything in me. Every day, you live as a living sacrifice for God and your kids. “Greater love has no one then this, to lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). You sacrifice yourself completely all day, every day. I want you to know that I see it, I am inspired by you, and I love you.

Many words describe you well—smart, funny, empathetic, loving, kind, honest, noble, strong, beautiful, the list goes on and on—but the word that sums up so much of who you are? Selfless.