Katie Holmes turned 47 on December 18 and the movie star is the proud doting mother of Suri Holmes, 19. Their touching mother-daughter bond has strengthened over the years, and we're delving into their family ties below.
Suri is currently a student at Carnegie Mellon University and although she's based in Pittsburgh, she enjoys spending her free time with Katie in New York City. She also supported her mother's career by cheering her on during her Broadway show, "Our Town," and visited the city for Katie's birthday.
Although the two have grown accustomed to seeing each other sporadically, being away from Suri was a learning curve for Katie. She previously revealed: "Every day, kids get a little further away from you. That's a positive thing. They should be becoming more independent, but it's heartbreaking," per Town & Country.
Katie continued: "You want them to stay with you forever, but they're these amazing beings, and you have to do everything you can to give them what they need — and then they're going to go. And that's going to be very, very sad for me." Despite it being difficult at the time for Katie, the doting mother added: "Of course, I will miss the close proximity. But I'm really proud of her and I'm happy."
Katie has always had a thriving career as an actress, but she admitted that raising her child was at the top spot of her priorities when Suri was younger. She expressed: "This business is so unstable, and you never really know where you're going to be. The thing about directing is I can say I have this window and that's when we're getting it done. My child is the most important person to me, and her upbringing is paramount to my work right now. It's very important that I'm present and she has a stable, innocent childhood. I feel so blessed to do what I do, but there's nothing in the world better than watching your child succeed."
As for what motherhood itself has taught Katie, it's just how unconditional and deep her love is. She revealed: "I didn't know how much love I had in me. It's overwhelming. Every day I discover more about this spectacular human being I get to be the mother of," per Glamour.
Regardless of Suri's growing independence and distance due to school, their strong mother-daughter bond is undeniable, loving and sweet. Katie is proud of the young woman that Suri has become and the two continue to cheer each other on through every challenge and endeavor. Talk about a dynamic duo.