A letter to a Deep Cove mom from her son

Hi there, I just read a tweet from @NorthShoreNews that asked about fantastic mothers.

I immediately decided to e-mail you because I think my mother is unrivaled in her awesomeness.

My mom was married at 18, had her first child (me) at age 19, and at age 21 she moved to Vancouver from Tehran, Iran, with her young and new family. Not speaking a word of English, she quickly picked up the language and lingo by watching Sesame Street with me (we're best buds).

Since our move to Canada in 1988, my mother's main priority has been making sure that her family is safe, well fed, happy, and without a single unfulfilled want or need. She sacrificed her whole life for us, and you can see how much she cherishes that decision every time you look her in the eyes.

She devoted her 20s, 30s and now 40s to her children. I moved out on my own a couple of years ago, but my brother (who is 20 years old) is still living at home under the watchful eyes of my parents. After 28 years of being a mother (to a pain in the butt kid: me), she is still happy to wake up at 5 a.m. to make sure my brother isn't late for work.

Her life's work has been her family, and aside from the occasional indulgence in shopping, travel with my dad, or her personal care (which she deserves), she has devoted her every moment to us; every breath, every thought. It was really annoying to have such an "overbearing" (as I would have called her then) mother when I was a teenager, but now I'm 28 and I know the difference between saying you love someone and really loving someone with everything you are. I understand that all of her actions were for my own good and were totally selfless.

My parents fled a war zone in Tehran in 1988 to come to a better place so their kids could have better opportunities. They have come so far, impacted so many lives, created so many happy and positive memories, and pulled themselves up beyond what they had probably even imagined for themselves: From flat broke living in a hotel room on Robson Street to running two successful businesses on the North Shore, living in a beautiful home in Deep Cove, and providing my brother and I with everything we have ever needed (and everything we never needed too).

That's why I am proud and honoured to write you this letter. Without the mother I had

growing up and I still continue to have today, I wouldn't be half the man I am now. I realize that many years later. Love you mamma.

Thanks for the opportunity to share, Sepy Bazzazi

This letter was sent in by Sepy Bazzazi after he read a call-out for submissions on the North Shore News Twitter feed. This story originally appeared in a special Mother's Day section of the North Shore News.