To my mama on her birthday,

I want to start by apologizing. I want to apologize for waiting an entire 365 days to tell you how incredible you truly are. You should be reminded more often of why I feel so blessed to have you as my mother. I too often forget to tell you how thankful I am for the way you love my daddy, my sister, and I, even with all of our quirks and flaws.

I will be the first to admit that I have taken you for granted countless of times. It's common for children to take their parents for granted, but now that I am grown and living on my own, I have come to realize how much you put aside in your life, just to make mine a little better.

You answer your phone at 2 a.m. when I wake up in my dorm room with a tummy ache.

You laugh at everything I do, because, fortunately, I got my sense of humor from you.

You always defend me when dad gets upset I mess with the thermostat.

You argue with me about who has pulled the bathroom rug closer or further away from the shower.

You never let me leave the house without making sure my contacts are in and I have my driver’s license.

You transfer money to my bank account when I run out of water bottles and gum.

You start my mornings with a silly Bitmoji text that makes me laugh in my dreaded 10 a.m. algebra class.

You keep me updated on our dog, Willy, and send me pictures of him when I need a little cheering up.

You chase me up and down the stairs in our house when you think you’re funny and I actually run and scream because I'm scared that you’ll catch me.

You make my meals for me when I'm home, not because I'm incapable, but because it always tastes better when you make it—even if you’re only reheating it.

You leave me voice mails when I can’t get to the phone right away, ending the message with “I love you, call me!”

You taught me to never leave the house or go to bed angry—you never want bad words to be your last words.

You taught me right from wrong with this simple phrase; “because it is the right thing to do.” There does not have to be a reason, it just IS.

You answer your phone in the middle of your workday to listen to me cry in-between classes because of an unapproachable professor and my very first bad grade.

You encourage me to be humble, in that no one is better than another.

You keep me sane by reminding me that my mind is a lot more powerful than i believe it to be, and my problems are not problems unless i let my mind convince me that they are.

You help me realize that there are more options and solutions than just the black and white. there are all the possibilities in between; the gray.

You helped mend me back together when I believed I was broken.

You teach me patience by the way you wait for the elderly husband and wife to push their grocery cart across the walkway, even when you’re in a hurry.

You teach me forgiveness by giving others the benefit of the doubt. A second chance is what we all need.

You leave your work meetings to help me breathe through my anxiety attacks and remind me that my worries are all in my head.

You are sympathetic and empathetic to even those undeserving, and that is why I have the heart that i do today.

You remind me to act as-if.

You have set an example of unconditional and passionate love with your marriage to daddy and for that, I know exactly how to love someone else.

You tell me that we may not be rich in money, but we sure are rich in love.

You never failed to remind me how proud you are of me and my successes here at college.

These things may seem small or insignificant to others, but to me, these are all the reasons why I love you. They are all big reasons of why I appreciate you more than you or anyone else will ever know. You're my role model mama and I only wish to be half the mother that you are someday. I hope you accept my apology. I assure you that I will not wait 365 days to remind you of all your beauty.

Thank you so much for setting an example as great as you have after all these years and all these birthdays of you becoming older, learning, and applying your knowledge from the years past, into being the best mama a daughter could ask for.

Happy birthday mama. I love you.