(My son — AKA My Favorite Domer, or He-Who-Won’t-Read-My-Blog — turns 22 today. This post is dedicated to him.)

Dearest Domer:

It seems like the past couple of decades have just flown by.

Weren’t you just born? Wasn’t I just rocking you to sleep, singing lullabies and ballads, then putting you down, hearing you cry, and doing it all over again?

Wasn’t I just taxiing you to and from school, watching you play T-ball when you’d rather be filling your pockets with special rocks and picking dandelions to give me afterwards?

Wasn’t it just yesterday that I kissed a boo-boo, patched a scraped knee, cut your hair myself? Weren’t you just climbing into my lap for me to read to you? Weren’t you just learning how to ride a bicycle, begging me to “Hang on, mom!” until you got your balance?

Where did that little boy go?

Didn’t I just attend another parent-teacher conference, accompany you door-to-door on fundraisers, put together a Halloween costume at the last minute, and dream up something fun for you to do when you complained of boredom?

Weren’t you just playing a tennis match, testing for another karate belt, performing at a band concert? Weren’t you just at the dentist’s office, having your wisdom teeth extracted? Didn’t I just finish teaching you to drive, or dropping you off at college for the first time?

Twenty-two years has passed so fast (take heart, parents of young kids!). Just think of all the things we can’t do without today that weren’t around 22 years ago — Facebook and YouTube, iPads, cell phones, laptops, e-readers, debit cards, and disposable contact lenses!

And in a little over two months, you’ll be graduating from college and flying off into the world on your own.

Will my work be done then?

NO!

I didn’t know it when I signed on to be your mom that a mom’s work is never done! You don’t believe me? Why, it says so in the Mom’s Book (and you’ll just have to trust me on this, since you’ll never be privy to the Mom’s Book!)

But I’m not complaining — far from it.

I hope you’ll always know I’m there for you, kind of like a safety net.

I’ll always be your biggest fan, your champion, your cheerleader. If anybody dares to hurt you, they’ll have to go through me first.

Mama Tigress, Mama Lioness. Don’t mess with my cub!

And when things don’t go the way you hope, I’ll be right there with open arms, ready to comfort and make it all better.

Until you’re able to face the sometimes-cruel world on your own again.

That, I promise.

Everybody told me having a baby would change my life. I didn’t know how true that was.

You did, for the better!

If I had to, I’d walk through fire for you.

I love you that much.

Happy Birthday, my son!

Love, mama