Being a mother is a full-time job.

There’s no paid vacation. There’s no paid overtime. There’s no clocking out at 5 p.m. and calling it a day. It’s a tough gig that gets overlooked.

That’s why Mother’s Day is the perfect time to catch up on your slack for the rest of the year.

I try to make sure my mom knows how much I appreciate her every day; even though I live more than 70 miles away and I don’t get to see her every day. We do talk every day, and she knows just about everything going on in my life. And when I say we talk every day, I mean we talk at least three to four times a day. I just can’t help it — she really is my best friend.

But even within our close relationship, I know I fall short of showing her just how much I really appreciate her. I don’t always tell her the important things like how watching her become a single parent after my father unexpectedly died and raise me, a college-bound child, shaped me. She showed me what true strength is, and what it really means when people say “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

I don’t always tell her thank you for not “spoiling” me so that I could learn to appreciate the value of a dollar. I don’t always tell her thank you for supporting all my aspirations in my childhood, even if they seemed unreachable. I don’t always tell her thanks for all the money and time she invested in my forever-changing hobbies like playing the clarinet and volleyball.

I do always tell her I love her, but moms need to hear the other stuff too. They need to know they’re not undervalued, just like anyone working a full-time job to the best of their ability.

So, if your fortunate enough that your mom is still in your life, take the time to tell her that you appreciate her and everything she’s done — big or small — you might just get a big kiss and hug.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Erin C. Perkins is a staff reporter for The Mount Airy News. She can be reached at eperkins@mtairynews.com or 719-1952.