As my 19th birthday came and went, I did what any other collegiate would do: I went to class and did my homework... it was a Tuesday, okay? Underwhelmed with my monotonous day, I began to answer the long line of birthday Facebook posts to kill some time. As I scrolled through the same generic posts, and generated some even more generic answers, I was thankful for the outpouring of love, but also a little bit discouraged by just how average a birthday could be.

After all, this was my last "teenage" birthday, and I was supposed to having the most thrilling, exhilarating, wild, and crazy time of my life. But here I was, cozy in bed, laptop in hand, covered in a blanket, and drinking coffee, just like any other Tuesday.

Then, I stumbled across one little post that completely brightened my day: As you would expect, my mom excitedly concocted the perfect birthday message, just like any Facebook-friendly mom does these days. However, this post was different, and it brought me to tears. This is what it said:

19 Things I Want My Daughter to Know on Her 19th Birthday:

1. Cheap shoes and cheap men may seem cute at first, but they always hurt you before too long.
2. Cheap sunglasses are OK, though.
3. This, too, shall pass: the good, the bad and the ugly. Cherish the good, learn from the bad, and put your head down and run like hell through the ugly.
4. You're never alone through the ugly parts of life. I always have your back.
5. I love you unconditionally. That means no matter what. Don't test that out just for fun though.
6. Treat yourself well. You set the example for how other people should treat you.
7. Things can be replaced. Even irreplaceable things aren't worth risking your safety or sanity, or compromising your integrity or self-respect.
8. Eat your vegetables. Eat your chocolate, too.
9. Don't let the world make you bitter and jaded. In my opinion, the world needs to be more like you: kind, compassionate, and optimistic. You don't need to change to fit in with the cruelty of the world.
10. Not all fashion trends are good. Don't be afraid to say you don't like something, and set your own trends.
11. You are more than enough. You are more than enough! Yes, I said it twice, but that's because I need it to run on autopilot in the background of your interactions with the people you encounter. Never let anyone make you feel like you are beneath them or less important. Don't treat anyone else that way, either.
12. Don't try to combat gossip about you. It doesn't work and it makes you look just as bad as the people badmouthing you. Prove the gossips wrong by holding your head high and continuing to behave with the integrity you've always shown.
13. When you walk into a room full of people and are worried about what everyone else is thinking about you, remember that they aren't. They are all worried about what everyone else is thinking about them! So take a deep breath and relax.
14. Be the best version of you that you can be. Don't worry about who you think may be smarter, prettier, richer, or more talented. You only see a small snippet of who they are, and they may be wishing they were more like you.
15. Never be afraid of starting over. If you find yourself in a city, career, or relationship that isn't right for you, it's okay to change it, no matter how much time or money you've invested. Your happiness is more important.
16. You're not responsible for fixing anyone else or for making them "feel" anything. We're each responsible for our own, and only our own, messes and emotional state.
17. Sometimes a good cry, a chick flick, and a pint of ice cream fix everything.
18. Use a good moisturizer every single day.
19. "Beauty without grace is the hook without bait." -RWE

By the time I finished the last bullet point, with teary eyes and a homesick heart, my day went from average to astonishing. I realized that sometimes, it is not one significant day or event that matters the most, but rather, the experiences, lessons, and memories leading up to it.

Yes, my mid-week, mediocre, Tuesday of a 19th birthday was a little less than exciting, but the best gift of all was knowing that over the course of 19 years, my mother had instilled these valuable lessons deep within my heart. Throughout my life, she became my personal doctor, my reliable shopping partner, my understanding psychiatrist, my complete confidant, and, of course, my best friend. She was a shoulder to cry on when I had my heart broken, and she was the first person to tell me that I deserved much better than stupid boys who didn't appreciate my worth. My mom helped to make me the person I am today, and I never realized how true this was until it was outlined on paper right before my eyes.

So, thank you Mom, for all of the wonderful lessons that you've taught me during this crazy journey called life. Of course, there are many more lessons than just those 19, but a full list would most certainly be a novel, and that would take far too long to write. All I can say is that I'm proud to be your daughter, and I'm even happier to have a mother who's as caring, compassionate, and loving as you. I truly know that wherever life may take me, you're the one person that I can always count on to be right by my side.