Boy finally says 'I love you mommy' after years of a speech delay and moves his mom to tears
His sweet voice was so worth the wait.

"I used to pray for the days my son could tell me he loved me."
I am not a mother myself, but I’d imagine all moms eagerly await the day they can finally hear the words “I love you” sweetly whispered by their kids.
For Texas-based mom Jayla Henry, that moment might have come a little later than usual, but that certainly didn’t make it any less special. Plus, she was able to capture it all in a video that has people in tears.
The clip, which has 6.8 million views on TikTok, shows Henry baking holiday cookies with her 4-year-old son Braylon, who was diagnosed with a speech delay.
It’s already a happy time between a mother and son, but then Braylon does the unexpected. In an outburst of pure joy, he wraps his arms around Henry's neck, showers her with kisses and utters those long awaited words:
“I love you mommy!”
Her voice shaking, Henry quickly replies, “I love you so much!”
@jaylabrenae5 It’s an even sweeter moment for me knowing I used to pray for the days my son could tell me he loved me due to him being speech delayed. I’m in awe right now😭❤️ #momlife #sahm #mommoments #sweetestboy #toddlertalk #beautifulmoments ♬ janes love song - Miya
She then posted the video to TikTok, along with the caption:
“It’s an even sweeter moment for me knowing I used to pray for the days my son could tell me he loved me due to him being speech delayed. I’m in awe right now.”
In an interview with TODAY, Henry shared that Braylon had been diagnosed with a speech delay at 18 months old.
“He wasn’t even babbling at that point. He would just point at things," Henry said. “That’s when we realized something wasn’t right.”
Braylon began working with a speech pathologist up until the family moved, when his parents took on the role themselves. Luckily, he was a determined and avid learner.
Henry added that at first she blamed herself for Braylon’s delay, wondering if she didn’t do enough. Knowing this guilt is a common feeling for parents of children with developmental challenges, she sought to open up about her experience so that others might feel more comfortable talking about their own.
“We need to normalize talking about the things in our life that aren't perfect,” she told TODAY.
Clearly, Henry’s video did in fact resonate with a lot of folks.
“I pray for the day my 3 year old son can say ‘momma’ and ‘I love you.’ He has Apraxia so he says very few words,” one parent shared in the TikTok comments .
Another added, “My daughter has been in speech therapy for 3 years now. The 1st time she said ‘mommy’ I was a mess.”
The truth is, speech delays are fairly common. One out of 5 children will learn to use words a little later than other children their age. And while, yes, a speech delay might sometimes signal something more serious, the condition also can resolve on its own with a little bit of patience and encouragement.
Of course, it’s easy to say that. But for parents actually living through it, the waiting can be painful. Perhaps that’s why moments like the one Henry was able to capture carry a little extra weight—not only do parents with similar challenges feel validated, but they get the hopeful reminder that every milestone is precious, no matter when it comes.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."
This article originally appeared in May.