Sunday is Mother’s Day, and I was stumped about choosing a gift for my mom. She has everything she needs and steadfastly tells us not to buy her anything.

We’re fortunate our mom is still with us, and we know how lucky we are. Still, I wanted to get her something. While shopping, I saw a pretty pink box with “Mom” stenciled on the top.

The inside was empty, and I had an idea. I’d fill the box with notes, highlighting some of the wonderful memories mom created for our family.

Coming up with the memories was easy because there’s so many ways mom made sure we knew we were loved. She underplays the little ways she made life special for us, and I wanted her to know how much the small gestures meant.

I thanked my mom for sneaking peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to me in the pocket of her apron on the nights I was a picky eater. She didn’t want her daughter to go to bed hungry.

When we were young, the thunder and lightning scared us. I thanked my mom for telling us not to be afraid – the thunder, she said, was simply the angels bowling.

Even though our mom worked outside the home, we had a hot dinner every night. She also made sure we had roast, rice, mashed potatoes, corn, salad and gravy every Sunday after we came home from Mass.

I thanked mom for her steadfast devotion to her faith, especially the Virgin Mary. I remember helping her create a special altar with fresh flowers from the yard to honor Mary.

Mom made birthdays special. With seven children, holidays like Easter and Christmas were shared.

But she always made our favorite dinner and favorite dessert on our birthdays, even when she worked full time. I thanked her for teaching us how to make someone feel special. I know now she must’ve been bone tired, but she never complained.

How our mom made sure we never felt deprived or did without is still a mystery to me. Our dad was a salesman, and we never knew how much money he’d bring home. But mom made sure we never felt less than.

I thanked my mom for creating a life-long love for our Lebanese heritage. She also learned how to cook Cajun food to honor our Louisiana roots, and gumbo remains our every-year Christmas Eve dinner.

Our mom loves music, and if I heard “A Taste of Honey” by Herb Alpert once, I heard it a thousand times. Whenever this song comes on the radio, I’m immediately back home, a smile on my face.

Mom has a beautiful voice, and I can still hear her singing, serenading us on Saturday mornings.

I thanked her for instilling a love of movies in us. I can recite the dialogue in “Stella Dallas,” “Imitation of Life,” and “Backstreet” without notes.

My dad could tell a joke better than the comics on television, but our mom is the one with a sense of humor.

She always found a way to make us laugh, even in the tough times, and some of her zingers are family heirlooms. One of my favorites: “Keep your chins up, honey. All of them.”

Mom took up crocheting for a few years, and one of my favorite Christmas memories is the year she made beanies for all the boys and grandsons. That’s over 30 head coverings.

Of all the wonderful gifts mom gave us, one of the best is how she makes our children feel special.

Each grandchild will tell you their grandmother – Siti – doesn’t play favorites, but secretly, they’re her favorite.

I thanked mom for putting up with a rowdy house of seven kids and a crazy husband, all the while making us feel safe and loved.

I thanked her for valuing each one of us, loving our strengths and weaknesses, always knowing what we needed and when.

She’s a shining example of what it means to be an incredible mom, a loving grandmother and an even greater great-grandmother. Most of all, she’s an incredible friend.

I love you, Mom.

Thank you.

This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald.