Before I start, for those short on time and looking for an insightful article, I'm going say that this article is literally the title: I'm going to be waxing lyrical about my mother. So, if you would like to learn something new from an article, I suggest one of the other lovely pieces of writing on our Odyssey page. Unless, you want a few tips on how to be a better mom or to read how cool my mom is, carry on.

If I truly want to write everything and in depth of all she's helped me, this article is going to never end and you might as well fall asleep or be insanely envious (or I might fall asleep. Also, before we go any further, no you can't have my mom). Sure, you've probably read all those "who drives you everyday for free/puts up with your stubbornness and attitude/cooks you food and cares" articles, those, "where you get free stuff and can get away with rudeness that won't work in the real world" thanking and appreciating mothers, but my mom, true to her mindset, goes just a little higher than what is expected. Here's just a small slice—more like a sliver—of why she's the coolest mom ever:

1. Thanks for being my personal cheerleader.

Yeah, I've heard of those moms cheering for their kids at their ball games, encouraging words to boost their kids up. Yeah, she does that, but find me a mom that's willing to wake up at 4 o' clock in the morning to wake you up who (obviously) procrastinated on a huge project and makes them pot stickers as an encouraging breakfast. Or green onion pancakes. (You get to choose.)

2. Thanks for making me food.

Yes, thank you for food. Now that I'm in college and cooking for myself, I never thought cooking was so time-consuming. She always made it look so easy and so fast. 15 minutes later—ta da!—a nice meal for four. Compared to me, 15 minutes later—ha ha—still lost, peeling vegetables or in the bathroom using the quickly dwindling supply of band-aids (just kidding, we don't have band-aids). Getting up early to pack us lunch (not just some sandwiches, either), my friends during high school would always mooch off whatever nice meals you've packed for me (or just taking my rice).

3. Thanks for being an awesome person that made me who I am today (all the good parts of me, at least).

Thanks for putting up with me when I was being bratty—I know my stubbornness goes 10 miles long—thinking I know better. There's been so many "I-told-you-so's" moments that I'm thoroughly humbled (of course, until the next time I think I know better again). Being my pseudo-workout buddy, I really enjoyed all the talks we've had. Granted, we got little to no exercising done, but it's hard to talk while working out (or at least, trying to).

Thanks for laughing at my jokes, thanks for being my shopping buddy (despite you 'tsk'ing at my hoodies and me rolling my eyes at everything blue), thanks for helping me with school, your constant reminders(yes, "nagging, we called it), even influencing my major now. There's so much that I want to share, for people to see just how awesome it was growing under your care. Signing me up for all those different activities when I was little (littler), which made me appreciate all the different things around me today. I hope that I'm being and becoming someone that you can be proud of. I hope people could see just a little bit of you through me. I know nobody's perfect, but I think you're pretty close.

Happy Birthday, Mom. Thanks.

Sincerely,

Your poor college kid who thought to use this article as "its-the-thought-that-counts" gift was a good idea (Please remember this article the next time I make a mistake, and future boo-boos.)

(P.S. I know, it's late, I procrastinated on this too, happy BELATED birthday...?)

(P.P.S. By the way, don't worry mom. We do actually have band-aids, I think. I haven't had to use them—yet.)