Good evening and thank you all for joining me in celebrating my mom’s 50^th Birthday! My mom, Liz Kenyon, has been an extraordinary inspiration to me, as well as my brother and sister, for all of our lives. Tonight, we will celebrate the 50 years my mom has lived. Tonight, we will celebrate the next 50 years to come. Tonight, we will celebrate the impact Liz makes on all of us. (Parallelism) She is a woman of hard work and one that lives for her family. She was brought up in a large family and often had to look after her younger brothers and sisters. She went off to the Navy, met my dad, then quickly started a family and became a nurse. The compassion she shows her family definitely translates to her patients.

I want to start off by thanking my mom for always being there for me. No matter what is going on, if one of her family members needs her, she will be there. If you are sick, she will be there. If you need someone to talk to, she will be there. If you need someone to share joy in your life, she will be there. (Epistrophe) I remember one time, almost two years ago, when I got sick. Like my mom, I am very stubborn, and hate to ask for help from others. Two days before my surgery, I filled her in on what was going on. She took time off of work, brought me flowers and specialty cupcakes, and was there by my side. This meant the world to me that she was there in the waiting room when I got out of surgery. She truly showed me that mothers will be by your side. Mothers will be strong. Mothers will not let you down. (Anaphora)

My mother is the hardest working woman I know and am proud she has inspired me to do the same. While we were growing up, of course we wanted name brand clothing, lots of new shoes, and to be on the best sports teams. At times she worked three jobs to make sure we can get everything we wanted in life. To this day, she still works two jobs. I’m pretty sure she lives by the saying “One must work to live, not live to work.” (Chiasmus) While she did give us a lot growing up, she was still able to teach us the value of hard work and to be independent. I remember when I wanted my first cell phone when I was in high school. She said I had to have a job for at least a year before she could trust me with a cell phone bill, since I would be paying for it myself. I got my first job the day I turned 15 and kept that job until I was 19. This experience helped teach me about paying bills and the value of keeping a job over an extended period of time.

Unconditional love is a huge part of why my mother is an inspiration to me. There have been many times I have, or my brother and sister have, caused much heartache on the family, especially my mom. I used to take my mother’s love for granted until the day, about four years ago. It was my sophomore year in college and little did she know, I was failing five classes that year. I was going through a lot and involved in a lot of things she did not know about. I called her around midnight one night, told her what I had been doing and that I wanted to stop. She drove an hour to come get me and she let me stay at her house for awhile until I got back on my feet. Luckily for her, I only needed to be there a short time before I found a job and an apartment on my own. That experience bonded our relationship and we are still able to bond over the transformation I have made since that day. This showed me how forgiving she is and that no matter what I do, she will forgive me.

She is not just there for me, but also for my brother and sister. She has showed us that her door is always open. (Synecdoche) She is the best mother and the best grandmother anyone could ask for! My mother has opened her home back up to my sister, Tara, and my niece, Gracie, while Tara is finishing school. She showed us that she can always accommodate us. The joyful moments she spends with Gracie, her only grandchild, are the most precious moments that I have ever seen.

Lastly, my mom finds humor in everything and creative ways to solve family problems. I will always remember the time that Ted, my brother, told my mom he no longer wanted to live at home when he was in high school. Instead of arguing, she said “Fine, but you can’t take anything that I have bought.” He took this opportunity to head for the door with no bags in hand. My mom quickly reminded him that she bought every piece of clothing he had on, including the shoes. He then tried to walk out in his boxers, but she reminded him he did not pay for those either. After being naked outside for all of five minutes, Ted quickly realized how great it is to live at home! The heart is small, but the love that pours out from it is huge. (Antithesis)

So, with all of this being said, my mom, Liz Kenyon stands before us turning 50 today. Somehow, her head is not full of gray hair caused by the craziness of her children. She stands here today, healthy and happily turning 50! I only hope that I can one day accomplish all that she has. Now let’s toast to 50 more years for my mom! Happy birthday!