National Sons Day falls on Saturday, Sept. 28 this year.
The annual observance is designated as a day to recognize the importance of having a son or being one, and is the perfect opportunity to let someone you love know just how much they’re appreciated.
While National Sons Day flies a bit more under the radar than, say, Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, it’s still a significant holiday and a good reminder to let your son or other special person in your life know that you’re thinking of them.
To help, we’ve gathered a list of National Sons Day quotes to express your most heartfelt wishes this year.
In the collection below, you’ll find meaningful messages spoken or written by luminaries like Maya Angelou, Dr. Seuss and E.E. Cummings, as well as touching sentiments from beloved children’s stories including Robert Munsch’s memorable, “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living, my baby you’ll be” from the book “Love You Forever.”
Looking for words to show how proud you are of the person they’ve become? Use these inspiring words from John Green: “I’m so proud of you that it makes me proud of me. I hope you know that.”
You can also quote the classic Phil Collins’ song “You’ll Be in My Heart,” the hit single from the animated movie “Tarzan.”
Drop one of these thoughtful quotes in a text or post them on Instagram. Whatever you decide to share is sure to remind someone dear that when it comes to sons, there’s simply no one better.
National Sons Day Quotes and Wishes
“And she loved a little boy very, very much — even more than she loved herself.” — Shel Silverstein, “The Giving Tree”
“I have a son who is my heart. A wonderful young man, daring and loving and strong and kind.” — Maya Angelou
“I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living, my baby you’ll be.” ― Robert Munsch, “Love You Forever”
“In all the world, there is no heart for me like yours. In all the world, there is no love for you like mine.” — Maya Angelou
“You are my sun, my moon, and all my stars.” ― E.E. Cummings
“To the world you may be one person; but to one person you may be the world.” — Dr. Seuss
“To be a mother of a son is one of the most important things you can do to change the world. Raise them to respect women, raise them to stand up for others, and raise them to be kind.” — Shannon L. Alder
“Nobody has ever measured, even poets, how much a heart can hold.” — Zelda Fitzgerald
“I will look after you and I will look after anybody you say needs to be looked after, any way you say. I am here. I brought my whole self to you. I am your mother.” — Maya Angelou
“Our sons grow and change, sometimes before our eyes, and we can barely keep up with their active, inquisitive natures.” — Gregory L. Jantz
“Every one of our sons leaves home at some point. They become men who can return to help us mothers in ways that no other human can. They can teach us how to live our lives better. If we hold on long enough, and love them always, they come back to us.” — Meg Meeker, “Strong Mothers, Strong Sons”
“You have my whole heart. You always did. You’re the best guy. You always were.” ― Cormac McCarthy, “The Road”
“We never know the love of a parent till we become parents ourselves.” — Henry Ward Beecher
“The most important thing in the world is family and love.” — John Wooden
“You don’t raise heroes, you raise sons. And if you treat them like sons, they’ll turn out to be heroes, even if it’s just in your own eyes.” — Walter M. Schirra Sr.
“If I know what love is, it’s because of you.” — Herman Hesse
“Sons have always a rebellious wish to be disillusioned by that which charmed their fathers.” — Aldous Huxley
“Yet now in my arms, I was holding a helpless baby boy who would grow into a man. I cannot imagine that soft little face one-day having whiskers.” — Rhonda Stoppe
“I like you just the way you are.” — Fred Rogers
“‘Tis a happy thing to be the father unto many sons.” — William Shakespeare, “Henry VI”
“A mother’s love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity. It dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path.” — Agatha Christie
“Men pass in front of our eyes like butterflies, creatures of a brief season. We love them; they are brave, proud, beautiful, and clever.” Philip Pullman, “The Golden Compass”
“You don’t choose your family. They are God’s gift to you, as you are to them.” — Desmond Tutu
“When you were too small to tell me hello, I knew you were someone I wanted to know.” — Emily Winfield Martin, “The Wonderful Things You Will Be”
“‘Cause you’ll be in my heart, yes, you’ll be in my heart. From this day on, now and forever more.” Phil Collins, “You’ll Be in My Heart”
“Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” — Marcel Proust
“I may not always be with you, but when we’re far apart, remember you will be with me, right inside my heart.” — Marc Wambolt, “Poems from the Heart”
“The most important mark I will leave on this world is my son.” — Sarah Shahi
“I’m so proud of you that it makes me proud of me. I hope you know that.” — John Green, “Will Grayson, Will Grayson.”
“Sons are born to make their fathers better men.” — Mekael Shane