She looks just like you.

When I was younger, people would tell my mom all of the time, "She looks just like you!"

I do look a lot like my mom.

Maybe what people were saying was that outwardly I had some of the same features as my mom. We had the same color hair, the same face, the same freckles--which I love, thanks mom!

Maybe what they were saying was that we carried ourselves the same way, we had the same walk, we had the same speech patterns, same sassy mouth--which I love, thanks mom!

Maybe what they were saying was that on the surface, we seemed to be very similar.

Now, when I think of it, I think that maybe I'd like be like her inside, too.

She's honest, even though sometimes it hurts and sometimes she puts off saying it.

She's compassionate, that's never changed, it's just that my daughter filter has been lifted a little at the corners so I can peek out and see her as a person and not as my mom.

She's spiritual, I like that she has always strived to understand what it was she was placing her faith in and made sure that it made sense in her life.

She's loyal, she's there, through thick and thin, no matter what.

She's driven, this is a new one for me. She's been going to school for the past couple of years and working full time. It's interesting to see how she is evolving as a student, a person, a woman, a friend, mom, sister, wife.

She appreciates humor in all of it's forms, she is humorous herself, AND she laughs at my jokes.

She's accountable, that sounds so stern, yet it's a good quality. She's not afraid to take responsibility for her own actions and she expects you to do the same.

She's artistic. We take different forms on this one, she prefers playing piano or guitar and singing for others and I like to bake or cook for others while singing. She's pretty darn good, must be where I get it from.

She's genuine. She's the real deal, what you see is what you get.

She is gracious, warmth and kindness abound.

She is always polite.

She is intelligent. Anyone who can figure out how to raise one kid, much less two, three, four or more and do it well and still maintain a household and then start a career 25 years later, well that person must be smart, a clone, or crazy. Don't worry, two out of three ain't bad.

I always got jealous when other people spent time with her. It seemed that she spent more time with others. I just realized it's because she did such a good job.

Not that I don't love her and want to spend time with her, she just did such a good job passing on those traits to me, that I am an independent, self-sufficient, intelligent, funny, beautiful daughter, sister, grand-daughter, aunt, niece, wife, mother, friend, woman, girl.

I realized that I don't need to be jealous. I should be proud to share her with other people. Honored that she gave me those things first--including the recipe for Pizza Fish.

You know, now that I think about it, I was her guinea pig! Being first-born and all! Maybe I shouldn't be all that honored...HEY! Well, it all worked out in the end...

So now when people say, "Wow, she looks just like you!"

I can smile and say, "Of course I do."

Now, let me introduce you to my daughter.