Mothers are a true gift, and to those of us who are blessed with wonderful mothers who are still in our life, we must know and appreciate our luck.

And to those who have known but lost a wonderful mother, I am devastated for you, and only hope you hold dear the good and happy times. Today I want to use this platform I have to thank my wonderful mom for all the joy she brings not only to me but to the world itself. I hope that many of you can read this and thank your moms for the same things!

Dear Mom,

On your birthday, I want you to know the things I am thankful to you for. I am thankful for your always unwavering support, I am thankful for your unconditional love, and your countless laughs. I am thankful for you taking the time to explain new concepts to me when I was younger and even still today. I am thankful for how you carefully took the time to tend my every need, before you ever even considered taking care of your own.

I am thankful for the countless nights you got up with me when I wasn't feeling well. And for the nights you took my temperature every hour to make sure the fever was going down, and giving up your own birthday the year I had the stomach virus. Thank you for being there for me through all the tough points in my life, and for putting up with all of the unnecessary teenage angst I put you through.

Thank you for being the most positive person I know. Thank you for smiling through everything, thank you for singing through the house. Thank you for making me, and everyone else that you know smile, and remember the positivity and blessings in their life. Thank you for being the light in everyone's life, you are even more than the light, you are the sun.

Thank you for Netflix binges, for all the laughs we have shared, for the inside jokes we have, for being there through countless, and usually stressful, shopping trips, and for being my mom.

On your birthday, I hope you know the light you bring to the world and how much the people around you appreciate it. I hope you know how your gratitude to waiters, all retail workers, and anyone you meet throughout the day contributes so positively to the lives they lead. You make people's day wherever you go, everyone is better off for knowing you and I feel so lucky that a person like that is my mother.

Happy Birthday Mommy. Another year of spreading positivity, spreading love, and spreading happiness. I love you with my whole heart. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Love,

Your grateful daughter, always.