21-Year-Old Son Surprises His Mom On Her Birthday By Paying Off Her Entire Mortgage
It's a gift she won't forget anytime soon.
fizkes | Shutterstock For a large part of a parent’s life, they can expect to receive handmade yet thoughtful gifts from their kids to mark special occasions. Mother’s Day might come with breakfast in bed and a plaster handprint or macaroni necklace. Christmas might bring an ornament or another macaroni necklace.
One young man elevated his gift game after giving his mom a present that would change her life.
The 21-year-old son surprised his mom on her birthday by paying off her entire mortgage.
“How much aura did I gain when I paid off my mom’s mortgage at 21?” he asked.
Lewis Meyer shared the special moment on social media, as he recorded himself singing the happy birthday song, then handed his mom a card.
His delivery was casual, yet the gift itself was epic.
“What is this?” his mom asked. As she read through the card, her facial expression captured just how awestruck she was.
“Lewis, are you serious?” she said next, holding her hand to her forehead in disbelief.
“Yeah, look at it,” Lewis said nonchalantly, as though he had handed her something small and simple, like a macaroni necklace.
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“I don’t even know what to say,” his mom said, then started to cry.
She opened the card one more time, as if to let her new reality sink in, then stood up and wrapped her son in a hug.
Paying off a mortgage is no small feat, especially for someone who's only 21 years old.
Overall, Americans owe $12.14 trillion on 84 million mortgages, which breaks down to an average of $144,593 per person with a mortgage on their credit report.
Mortgages make up 70.2% of consumer debt in the U.S., and 1.2% of mortgages were delinquent or in foreclosure in August of 2023.
In addition to the high rates of mortgage-related debt, balances on home equity lines of credit increased by $16 billion, bringing aggregate outstanding balances to $376 billion.
The sheer generosity and thoughtfulness of Lewis’ gift to his mother shows how much he appreciates her as a parent, taking care of her as she did for him over the past 21 years.
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Among the outpouring of positive comments from followers, one person in particular shared a valuable insight into how parenting style can affect a parent’s future.
“This is why how you treat children in childhood is so important,” they said. “It can reap great rewards in the long run.”
The growing spotlight on estrangement between parents and adult children shows that family relationships aren’t immune from fallout. 27% of adults report being estranged from one or more of their parents.
The way that parents treat their children during childhood has deep consequences, in that it could directly affect how involved an adult child is in their parents' lives once they leave the nest.
There’s no guarantee that children will want or be able to provide for their parents financially once they reach adulthood, yet many aging parents expect their children to act as their built-in retirement plan.
The more care, love, and respect a parent provides their children, the more likely it is that those children will grow up and give back what they can to the people who raised them.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers social issues, pop culture, and all things to do with the entertainment industry.