Dear Mama

To the one who taught me how to love by living it every day.

Dear Mama,

I love you so much.

You were my first home, my first teacher, my first quiet miracle.

You taught me what love was—
not through words, but through every choice you made
when no one was watching.

You came to the United States with nothing but courage
and the dream of a better life for your sons.
You chose survival over comfort,
sacrifice over ease,
us over everything.

You gave up time so we could have possibility.
You carried the weight so we could walk free.
You worked, worried, and prayed us into a better future.

You were there when I cried, when I fell, when I didn’t know how to get back up.
You were there when I smiled, when I succeeded, when I landed my first real job, and felt like I was becoming someone.
You celebrated my friends like they were your own children.
You made everyone around you feel held—even when you had no one holding you.

You taught me what it means to love through the storms and the sunshine.
To choose family even when it’s hard.
To keep showing up even when it’s thankless.

You guided me through the deepest fogs
and stood by me beneath the clearest skies.
You gave without needing anything in return.
You loved me fully, even when I didn’t know how to love myself.

And Mama, I see it now.
I see everything you did.
And I carry it with me every day.

I will always love you.
I will always be your son.
And I will never stop trying to honor the life you built for us with your own hands.

Happy birthday, Mama.
You are my heart.

With all my love,
Your son