Happy [Milestone] Birthday!

How do you begin to thank the one who loved you instantly from the start?
who sighed in wonderment as she felt those first "butterfly" movements in her belly and laughed out of pure joy?
who laid on her back in bed and found your elbow and foot sticking out of her belly to be the best entertainment there was?

How do you thank her?
the one who gave and sacrificed and never thought a thing of it?
It began in pregnancy in grew and changed and took new forms over the years.
And often you didn't even recognize it. But she never complained.

How do you thank the one who graciously steered you through adolescence, set the pace, and gave you an excitement about family?
the one who modeled such joy and satisfaction in marriage and motherhood that it's what your heart longed for.
And you knew how good it could be.

How do you thank the one who was your earliest memory?
And looking back, you realize that, through the years, she was always there.
Always.
You look back at the most key moments, biggest milestones, and there she was.
A beaming smile on her face. A hug of support. A heart overflowing with joy.

How do you thank the one who loved you unconditonally, fully, and completely?
The who who still does?
I'm not sure, but I hope to convey---on the big days and the little days---how very grateful I am to call her "Mom."
Happy [milestone] Birthday, my beautiful mom.
I celebrate and honor you.
And I thank God your precious life.