Dearest moms and mother figures,

On this special day, as you are celebrated, please know that one Sunday in May could never be enough to express our love and gratitude for who you are and for all that you do.

I’m writing as someone who was lucky enough to have the greatest mom anyone could ask for, but I know I’m not alone in that feeling. So many of us look at our mothers and see our first friend, our fiercest protector, our constant source of love and encouragement.

My mom was all of that and more. She was my best friend and my biggest fan, always there to listen, encourage, and believe in me, especially when I didn’t—or couldn’t—believe in myself. If we were together, her face lit up every time she saw me, and if we were separated by thousands of miles, her voice would brighten with that same warmth and joy the instant she heard mine.

She stood by me through the darkest times, never failing to offer empathy, compassion, and wisdom. On countless late-night phone calls, after listening to my struggles, she’d lovingly offer the soundest advice, always reminding me that “This too shall pass.” That phrase became a lifeline for me—a constant reminder that, no matter how hard the struggle, it wouldn’t last forever, and that no matter how insurmountable the odds, I was smart enough to come out on top, stronger and wiser than before.

But my mom was more than gentle and loving—she was fierce in the face of injustice. She couldn’t stand to see good people hurt or bad people get away with hurting good people. That fire, that absolute refusal to accept cruelty or unfairness, is something I’ll always carry with me.

I am who I am because of my mom. Her example taught me what it means to love deeply and care genuinely, to stand up for others, and to always do what’s right.

So, to every mom and mother figure reading this—thank you.

Thank you for loving your kids, for raising good humans, and for all of your hard work, showing up even when you’re exhausted, and especially when you don’t hear “thank you” nearly enough.

Your love lives on in the way we love others. It’s there in every act of kindness we offer, in the patience we extend to others, in the way we comfort someone who’s hurting. These are echoes of the compassion you poured into us. We carry that forward, sometimes without even realizing it, passing on the love and empathy you modeled all throughout our lives.

And in the difficult times when life feels overwhelming or we doubt ourselves, it’s your voice we hear in our heads, reassuring us, “You’ve got this.”

“And this too shall pass.”

It’s the gentle reminders that we’re stronger than we think, that we’re loved no matter what, that we can get through anything. Sometimes it’s something you said, sometimes a memory of you, or the way you hugged us when the world felt too heavy. Your love is woven into the fabric of who we are, and it shows in the choices we make, the people we become, and the love we give to others—all because you first showed us how.

I hope that all the moms and mother figures reading this know how loved and appreciated you are, today and always.

Thank you for loving us.

The luckiest son ever,
Chris Zappa