At the time I’m writing this I’m going to graduate college next Saturday. That’s pretty cool, but I don’t really care about that right now. Millions of people have a college degree, but I only have one mother and her birthday is also next Saturday.

I’ve written before about my parents and the inspiration they have given me since I was child, but I want to focus solely on my mother and why she is such a special lady. Since I was a child I always thought that I could do anything, but it definitely was not an internal feeling. No, it was placed in me and nurtured everyday by my mother, who told me that I could be anything I wanted to be. She told me I had the ability to be or do anything, but more importantly she gave me the freedom of knowing that even when I fell short of any achievement she would love and accept me no matter what I did. The world can be hard, but I never feel sad or miserable at home because I know nothing but love is there for me, I know my mom is there for me.

When I was a kid there was a time I remember thinking that my mother was too strict. She had us clean our rooms down to the smallest piece of dust on the carpet, we couldn’t speak with improper grammar, we couldn’t behave without manners, we couldn’t watch any TV during school nights, we had to get good grades, we had to do extracurriculars, and even in the summer she gave us books to read and workbooks to do before we could go play. If I ever misbehaved she was quick to call me on it and if I did right she was just as quick to tell me. A funny thing happened though. I learned to be creative, I learned to be more imaginative, and I started to enjoy learning and reading. I loved learning new things. To this day, I still actually love learning things in class and none of that would be possible without my mother.

As I grew up, I started to appreciate who my mother was as a person. She was brave, she was strong, she took care of three kids, went to work, cleaned an entire house, and smiled while she did it.

My mother was a professor and she loved teaching and enriching people’s lives. I can’t count how many times as a child one of my mother’s students recognized her in public and thanked her for how much she changed their lives. When the city colleges went on strike my mother was on the front lines.

When I think about how hard my mother worked every day for me I feel so blessed.

I think about how some people don’t like or never meet their parents. I can never repay everything she’s done for me. I wouldn’t be in school without my mother. I wouldn’t be the person I am without my mother. I may have never known kindness, humility, respect, empathy, or strength. My mother gave me everything she could and she didn’t do it for herself. Everything she has ever done has been to help me, make sure I had a chance at a good life. She even gave me her face so I could smile like her.

If I’m being honest I’m really not excited to graduate because I’m way more excited about my mother’s birthday. I’ve only worked 4 years for a degree, but she’s worked her entire life for me and siblings, so the least I can do is show her how much I love and appreciate her. The degree I receive is hers because she made this possible, just like anything else I ever have in life I know I owe to her. I know I can never give to you all that you’ve given to me mom, but I promise I will always work as hard as I can to pay you back anyways.

I love you mom!

Your birthday is worth 20 degrees because of all you have done for me and everyone else in your life.