Man shares special message his mom sent him every b'day until her death. It had one lovely thing in common.

Birthday gifts from our parents carry a special kind of value, but for Josh Chance, his mother’s annual birthday messages were priceless. Recently turning 45, Chance took to Reddit to share a series of heartfelt messages he’d received each year from his mom, Carol, up until her passing. Carol’s tradition of sending a birthday text at the exact time Josh was born continued until her final year, and this touching detail struck a deep chord with thousands who read his post.

Posting under the username u/NESpahtenJosh, Chance shared screenshots of texts from his mom, who each year sent a birthday message at exactly 1:11 a.m.—the precise time he was born. "I joked that she must have been up late the night before but that's when she told me that it was the time I was born, and she always tried to text me at that exact time," he told Newsweek over an interview. Chance's mom passed away in September 2021 after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest.

Chance revealed that his mom was the "glue that held his family together" and that she was "the life of the party." "She was a great storyteller. She had a laugh you could hear across the room and she loved her family so much. It was always important to her to make sure she stayed in touch with us even if it was just a short check-in," Chance said. Chance grew up with his brother Eric and their mom did everything she could to raise them. Whether it was hockey practice, homework assignments, after-school activities or anything else, Carol would always be there for her sons.

"She sacrificed so much to make sure I had what I needed to thrive growing up and I'll never forget that," Chance admitted to the news outlet. Gradually, he grew older and moved away from his parents' house to start his own life and family. The physical distance between him and his mom created some emotional gaps as well. However, every time he returned home, Chance felt like nothing had changed. "Overall, we had our challenges as any parent and their kid do, but you don't think about that much. You just remember the good times and the stories that make you smile," he mentioned.

Carol was enduring chest pain for a few days and after she suffered a heart attack, Chance's dad Bill had to share the tragic news over the phone with Chance and Eric. "That time was filled with dread, doubt, and stress; it was awful. By the time I got to the hospital, she was unable to talk or respond to anyone. I would not get the chance to have one last conversation with her and that's the part that really hurts. There's no closure," Chace shared with the outlet. After Carol passed away, they celebrated her life and memories at a local country club where people who knew and loved her paid their respects and shared their memorable moments involving Carol.

Since Carol’s passing, the Chance family has grown closer, with Josh and his brother moving back to live near their father. Josh married his wife Molly in 2022, and both of them felt the absence of their mothers on their wedding day. "I've come to terms with the fact that I won't hear from her anymore, but that doesn't make it easier. Sometimes the day itself is a challenge and other times it's a few days later that it really hits. Grief is weird like that," Chance revealed, adding that he still finds ways to honor her memory by doing activities they used to do together. When he posted these texts to the Reddit community, Chance could not believe the outpouring of support he received from strangers online. 

u/Question4theppl5 wished him, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSH! Your mom is going to use all of us Redditors using whatever spiritual power you believe in to send a big happy birthday message. I bet she wishes she was here celebrating with you and I bet she misses you a lot." u/sleepymelfho shared, "My mom died on March 14th, 2020. My birthday was a few days prior. The day before my actual birthday, she wrote me to tell me goodbye. She didn't think she would make it through the night and she wanted to make sure she told me happy birthday. It was a couple of years before I could celebrate my birthday again." u/Visual_Sympathy5672 added, "I'm crying. You were very lucky to have such a wonderful mother. I'm so sorry that she's no longer with you, but what a wonderful memory."