Yesterday was my mom’s birthday. My mom is an extraordinary person in my life. She’s equally geeky like I am, and she is such a selfless person. While I have talked about my mom in previous posts, I wanted to write a more personal essay about who my mom is as a person, so you can understand why I love her and appreciate that she’s a big part of my life.

My mom was born and raised in Minnesota, along with my dad. The above picture is literally my dad and my mom as babies holding hands in the same baby carriage. My aunt (dad’s older sister) taught my mom and her sister (aka my aunt) dance lessons when they were little. While my parents knew each other as babies, they didn’t reconnect until the 80s. My dad was working in radio in California when he found out his dad died of a heart attack (my grandpa, whom I never met). My dad moved back to Minnesota to be closer to family, and that’s how my mom and dad got together.

When I was born, my mom was the breadwinner in our family. She worked full-time while my dad worked part-time to take care of my brother and me. My mom worked a stressful job and took the bus to work, so my dad could have the car. Her commutes were long, but she did this so my brother and I could live in a stable home. I admire my mom for working a job she may not have loved, so my brother and I could have a fulfilling childhood.

For those who have never read any of my posts, my dad passed away from cancer when I was 12. All of a sudden, my mom had to work full-time and raise my brother and me. Now that I’m married to my husband, I think about the pain I would feel if I were to lose him tragically. My mom felt that plus be strong for us. I will forever be grateful to my mom for raising my brother and me in such traumatic circumstances.

On a light-hearted note, my mom is geeky like I am. She loves action movies, including James Bond, any Marvel movie, and thinks Baby Yoda is the cutest thing. There are various trinkets around her house, including a Baby Yoda stuffed figure, Daniel Craig posters, and a few Twilight posters in her room. She’s fully embraced wearing geek t-shirts, including her Gryffindor hoodie, which she purchased in Orlando during a family vacation. I hope that when I grow older, I will be like my mom, who will love what she loves no matter her age.

To celebrate my mom’s birthday, we went out to dinner at a nice restaurant. After dinner, we went back to my apartment, where we played a few board games. I introduced my mom to the card game Exploding Kittens. She has asked my brother to buy her a copy, so she can keep playing.

My mom is my rock. I’m so fortunate and grateful that my mom loves me for me. She’s someone whom I aspire to be in every aspect of my life. She’s someone who has had to overcome adversity and showed me how to be independent and to get through life’s challenges. I hope that if I ever have kids, I’m as selfless as my mom. Happy Birthday to my lovely, caring, and wonderful mom.