Jennifer Fontana and her mother

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What I tell you about my mother is not earth-shattering or never before heard. Mother's are very special people and there are so many out there worthy of mention, but I realized something about my mother—she defines her title to the truest and best definition it can have.

She gives without expecting anything in return. Even my ex-husband would say, "She would give you the shirt off her back in 30-degree weather and convince you she wasn't cold." She puts her family's needs before her own. The only thing that she would ever ask of us is that we do the same for our own children.

She's humble about her people skills, but she could sell an igloo to an Eskimo. She's vivacious, unafraid and will make damn sure that no one gets stepped on. … When it comes to honesty, she will drive 20 minutes back to a store, the next day, when she realized they gave her too much money, only to find out that they wouldn't take it back for fear of disturbing their daily records. This in turn would send her right to the confessional. …

Life is so much brighter with her around. With 46 years of marriage, three children and seven grandchildren, she has given her best and has lived her best life.

Jennifer Fontana; Cooper City, Florida